


Roll High

by HappilyNervousCollection



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, On Hiatus, Side Lavorregard, Slow Burn, dont worry it’s still fucked up so, obligatory highschool AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-02 01:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19188820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappilyNervousCollection/pseuds/HappilyNervousCollection
Summary: When Nott and Caleb transfer to a new high school during their junior year, they’re already used to fighting the system and looking over their shoulders. What they don’t expect to see is a group of people that, after a little bit of chaotic shenanigans, wants to be their friends.Not that they’re complaining.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> please be sure to give any feedback, as i live for it. comments make my day :)

”We’re-We’re going to be fine... right?”

The building in front of them was large, three stories high. The early morning clouds overhead and the old brick exterior certainly didn’t make it appear any safer. Neither did the distant bustle of the students inside. For Caleb and Nott, it was a new place with new people, and it was unclear if that was a good thing or not. But, on the other hand, they were told it was a chance to start anew.

Caleb doubted that, but that wasn’t something he’d admit to his small, nervous companion. Instead, he squeezed her hand, nodding. “It will be fine. Just... Just try not to cause any trouble. We are lucky enough to be here, we should not push that luck,” He answered, his voice soft by nature, but it doubled as something calming for Nott. 

Nott squeezed his hand, her fingers tightening around his own. “Whatever you say, Caleb,” She murmured, though her voice didn’t aid her in her attempt to be quiet, it’s shrill tone cutting through the tense silence. “I’ll try not to cause too much trouble.”

There was a moment where they simply stood there, staring up at the building, neither one ready to move just yet. Breaking the silence was a loud ring of a bell, and then there was movement inside the building. Caleb looked down to Nott, watching as she took a quick breath, and stepped forwards, guiding him along. 

Nott always had a bit more experience than him when it came to social situations. As they entered the building, she was quick to keep her eyes straight ahead, keeping to the walls and avoiding contact with any of the other students. Caleb was quick to mirror her, keeping his eyes low and his hand in Nott’s so as not to lose her as she wove through the crowd.

When they finally left the mob of students, they were face to face with a large mess hall, tables set up in rows and a line of students facing the far wall. “Are you hungry?” Nott asked him, and after a moment, Caleb nodded. He wasn’t really, but he had no idea when their lunch time was, and he would probably need to eat.

Her cheeks bunched up near her eyes, telling Caleb she was smiling underneath her mask. “Come on then, we can get some food in here,” She said as she continued to tug him along, her thumb rubbing against the back of his hand- something she’d figured out he liked somewhere in their year of knowing each other. “I can’t promise it’ll be good, but health code means it at least has to be _edible.”_

The mess hall was a bit less crowded, with groups of teens laughing while they picked at interesting looking food. A few students seemed to notice the pair, Caleb first and then Nott. He supposed that made sense- he wasn’t exactly being inconspicuous.

While most everyone around them was wearing some sort of shirt and pants combination, possibly with a hoodie or jacket pulled on top, Caleb was wearing a brown, somewhat dirtied trench coat and a tattered blue scarf. Nott was a bit more practical, instead wearing a plain grey hoodie and a pair of worn black jeans. 

Caleb worried for a moment if someone would recognize him, worried about what they were saying to each other about him and Nott. He couldn’t pick up on anything of what they were saying, the overall bustle of the cafeteria masking any rude comments they could be making. His posture shrunk and his ears went somewhat pink at the attention he was suddenly receiving, a cold chill settling in his chest and his weight settling into his feet and hands. 

The feeling went away as Nott squeezed his hand, causing him to look down at her. Her expression was calm as she looked up at him, even passed the doll like mask that covered half her face. “It’ll be alright,” She assured, Caleb replying with a small nod and an attempt at evening out his breathing. That seemed to satisfy her though, and she continued to guide him forward towards the line of students.

The line went by quickly, and now that he could get a closer look at what was actually being given to them, it didn’t look the most appetizing. It was some kind of pizza bagel, but the tomato sauce looked old and minimal. The bagel itself looked more like cardboard, dry and shriveled. The cheese was maybe the only thing that looked edible, though the greasy chunks of grey sausage on top probably didn’t help. Nott didn’t seem to care how disgusting it looked and took it anyways, so Caleb followed suit, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips settling into a small frown at the grease clinging to the packaging. 

They took a moment to punch their numbers into the keypad up by the register, Caleb being the one to do it since he’d remembered their numbers easier. With their food obtained, Nott guided him outside, where there were sets of picnic tables. They were more isolated, away from the people inside the mess hall, and he was unimaginably thankful for her decision. She sat down opposite of him, and when Caleb moved to do the same, he found his legs shaking halfway through and he all but collapsed onto the wiry bench. 

Nott had set her mask aside, revealing rows of twisted and jagged teeth, tearing apart the packaging and scarfing down her food. Caleb took a glance at his own food, grimacing at it again, before deciding to just tuck it away in his backpack. _For later_ , his brain lied. While in his bag, he pulled out his and Nott’s schedule, having a copy of both of them. 

For the most part, they had the same classes, sharing Honors Chemistry, Drama, Physical Education, and Common Literature. But he found that Nott also had Forensic Science, and Caleb instead had Introduction to Celestial- a language he already knew. Those classes were in the middle of the schedule though, so they wouldn’t be separated for too long. 

“We should meet up here for lunch,” Nott said, earning Caleb’s attention as he looked up at her. “We can’t walk there together because we have different classes during that time. But we can still meet up here,”

”Do you think anyone else sits here?” 

Nott shook her head. “They might, but I doubt it. This table is farther from the door, and kind of out of the way. If someone does sit here, we can just move a table or two down,” She explained, retying her mask around her face after finishing her ‘meal’. She fumbled with the strings for a second, and then managed to get them tight enough so that it hugged her face.

Caleb nodded as the bell rang again, and more people started to pour out of the mess hall, leaving and walking out towards the mobile classrooms. Caleb watched as they did, and Nott was right- hardly anyone was looking over in their direction anymore. That was a relief. “That sounds like a good idea,”

Nott nodded, standing up, and Caleb was quick to do the same. She instinctively reached for his hand, going back to just holding on. “Do you remember where our first period is?” She asked, an eyebrow quirked up at him. 

“Of course I do,”

”Good, because I don’t. Let’s get going,”

~*~

 For the most part, Common Literature went quickly. The teacher didn’t seem to pay them much attention, only taking a few minutes to set them up at a table in the back of the room, unable to provide extra desks. That was fine with them though, it meant they were more unnoticed. It also meant Nott could try practicing her magic, something that never failed to make Caleb smile.

Before they could really start practicing, a girl walked over to them, a wide smile on her face. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a red jacket over a pair of light blue skinny jeans. Her presence made Caleb a little uneasy, but he worked not to let it show, not offering her any sort of reaction.

”Hi, you two must be the new students,” She greeted, her voice high pitched and far too cheery for Caleb’s liking. Regardless, Caleb nodded, and her grin only seemed to stretch wider. “Well, I’m Maddie- what are your names?

Caleb couldn’t help it if he was a little stand off-ish. He wasn’t much of a people person, instead he was defensive and cagey. So, it was no surprise to him when he only gave her minimalistic reply.

“Caleb and Nott,”

”Nott? That’s an interesting name,” The girl mused, bending down slightly to come eye level with Nott. At a quick glance out of his peripheral, he could tell Nott wasn’t enjoying this, her posture was far too straight. 

“Ja- it is,” He said, his usual nonchalance laced with a light edge- not enough to be an obvious threat, but enough that it crisped his words and definitely was off putting.

The message got across, thankfully, but it seemed the girl only took that as a sign to talk to Caleb instead. “That’s a nice accent, where are you from?”

Caleb stilled for a moment, cursing himself for his hesitancy- _he shouldn’t have paused_ -and instead replied as blankly as he could. “North.”

The confusion from the statement was evident on the girl’s face, one eyebrow rising up, her lips pursing. For a moment, he just stared up at her- he usually made himself look weak so that nobody would take him as a challenge- as a threat. But this girl had picked him and Nott, so now he couldn’t back down.

After a moment, she sighed, giggling awkwardly and going back to a smaller version of her smile. “If you ever need me for anything, just tell me,” She instructed, and Caleb gave a slight nod, reminding himself to never talk to this girl again. With that, she walked back towards one of the desks.

Caleb sighed, his posture relaxing, his eyes moving back over to Nott for any signs of reassurance. She was smiling softly, her eyes sympathetic. “You did great,” She assured, pulling a small smile from Caleb.

The teacher was merciful enough to not introduce them to the rest of the class, leaving them mostly to their own devices at their little paradise of a back table. Caleb had pulled out his binder, keeping a page open but not taking too many notes on the actual class. He actually ended up taking more notes on the whispers he heard during an individual assignment. Apparently, Maddie was a gossiper.

”I don’t think he’s fluent in common,” She whispered, gaining Caleb’s attention, his hand no longer focused on writing. “He didn’t talk much, but he had a zemnian accent,”

”Maybe he just thought you were hitting on him- he got choked up?” Another girl suggested, only for the girl to shake her head.

”If they thought I was, that weird halfling girl would have probably torn me to pieces. I think they’re dating-“ Caleb scrawled something in the corner of a page, his ears pink and his lips set in a scowl.

_’Do not talk to Maddie.’_

_”I don’t think I like that girl,”_ Caleb heard, and when he looked towards Nott, she had her hands up near her face, a copper wire bent in an odd shape. She was grinning sheepishly, and Caleb couldn’t help the wide smile that came over him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, squeezing her tightly and then messing up her hair, causing her to laugh and swat at his hands.

He didn’t care about the fact the girls were definitely staring at him now- Nott had performed magic for the first time, and Caleb couldn’t be prouder.

By the time class was over, Caleb had memorized only the bare essentials, jotting them down in his binder in a neat bulletin list. He’d set his binder back in his bag, and then they were set to go to the gym, him and Nott leaving before the others so that they could beat the crowd.

With near expert level precision, they managed to weave their way to the gym room, finding seats on the top row of the bleachers. People poured into the room, some much bigger than others, and some tiny and spindly. Probably freshman, judging by how young some of them looked.

He watched those who came in, trying to decide who was safe. It was an assessment he had gotten used to conducting- one Nott knew as well. It was a system.

Anyone too muscly seemed to hang out in a group, and Caleb hummed as he heard Nott mumble _“_ Popular kids, teenage sports stars,” under her breath. Another wave of kids came in, and for a moment, Caleb spotted a baby blue tiefling with her hair done in a fluffy bob. She wore a pink blouse and a high waisted skirt, a pink backpack on her shoulders and her tail swooshing behind her.

For a moment, he considered her safe, but then she went and joined the more muscly kids, who in turn greeted her like family. He was a little disappointed, giving a small nod when Nott continued to mumble, “Queen of the school, probably. Her clothes look expensive and she talks loudly.”

Judgmental? Entirely, there was no doubt about it. But picking out who the threats were was an easy way to avoid trouble.

“Right,”

The group was chatty and loud, unapologetically boisterous, the few more lewd jokes reaching Caleb’s ears only seeming to prove Nott’s point. _At his old school, there weren’t any popular students,_ Caleb mused, only for his mind to quickly correct that, instead reminding him that, _no, he just didn’t notice it. He probably used to be one of them._

He didn’t bother thinking too long on that; he always had time to do that later. For now, it was more useful to take in the present situation rather than let his past claw at his head.

After some time, the period bell rang, and the gym teachers walked in. The class was dismissed to the locker rooms, leaving Nott and Caleb to follow the crowd, shooting each other concerned glances as they were directed towards the entrances.

They were separated from there, with Nott being ushered into the girls’ locker room, and Caleb keeping his eyes low as he walked into the guys’. It was crowded, with people already halfway done undressing. He could hear a few murmurs as he walked in, no doubt the bustle of seeing an unfamiliar figure. 

He ignored it- it was something he was used to -and shrugged off his coat and backpack, setting them neatly in a locker near the corner. The next thing to go was his scarf, also neatly folded and set in the metal locker. With those items gone, Caleb almost felt like he was being stared at, his ears dusting pink with the sudden awareness.

He didn’t bother turning around.

He moved in almost a mechanical manner, fingers only slipping once on the fastenings to his shirt before he muttered a curse to himself, forcing his hand to stop it’s minor shaking. With the shirt out of the way, the bandages wound around his arms were clearly visible, and he was quick to pull on the grey gym shirt to at least partially cover them. 

There was a slight urgency to his movements, and he couldn’t help but feel as if someone was watching him, his heart pounding against his ribs, his eyes to the floor. If he didn’t acknowledge it, he wouldn’t be targeted. At least he hoped he wouldn’t. 

When he was done changing, he set his things in the locker, finding the somewhat pristine looking lock and fastening it on the door. It was only then that he turned around, still somewhat stiff and anxious, only to let out a faint sigh of relief. Whatever that had been must’ve been a paranoid reaction.

_Sheiße, he needed to find Nott._

He left the locker room via a back door, finding Nott standing in the room, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall closest to the door. He instantly grimaced at the sight of her, her hoodie changed out for her gym clothes, her pale green skin easily visible, and her mask entirely gone. Her ears were no longer tucked back, instead protruding outwards, tilted towards the ground.

 “Are- Are you okay?” He asked quietly, his voice coming out as a quick hiss, unable to mask the panic and concern that was rushing through him. She nodded solemnly, fidgeting with her sleeves. Her gym clothes were baggy, the strings on her shorts tied over and over again to even fit her.

”Dress code,” She answered, dismissing his concern with a wave of her hand, a pang of pity running through him. “They said I couldn’t have my mask on, or my hoodie, because they were distracting,”

Caleb sighed solemnly, setting a hand on her shoulder, pulling her close to him. Dress code had been something they were used to before they enrolled at this school. It was something they were excited to escape- though it seemed like Nott couldn’t quite catch a break.

”If anyone says anything about it, tell me, and I will hurt them,” Caleb murmured, pulling a snort from Nott, the goblin girl showing off a toothy grin that stretched just a little too wide. Her hair fell in her face as she shook her head, causing a faint smile to tug at Caleb’s lips. “Or rather, I will try to.”

”Sure,”

~*~

Gym went by somewhat slower, Caleb and Nott sticking close together like they always did. They were introduced to the rules of a game, avoiding as much conversation as they could, floundering their way through the game. The presence of a goblin had certainly earned a few stares, and in turn, a few pointed glares from Caleb.

Nott was by no means shy, but the stigmas that surrounded goblins certainly wasn’t good.

When the conversation moved on from passive aggressive compliments towards Nott- the cheerful _“I’ve never seen a goblin this close before,”_  having made Caleb’s teeth grind -it seemed the next thing to grab their attention was Caleb’s bandages.

”So, why are your arms all wrapped up? Are you hurt?” Another girl asked, and Caleb found she reminded him a lot like Maddie- with a lack of social awareness and strong curiosity. He shrugged off questions and focused more on playing the game, monosyllabic replies coming from him easily.

Maybe it was because of the very prying questions that the class seemed to move so slowly, but that didn’t matter once they were sent back to the lockers, Caleb making a point to be one of the first people there and one of the first people out.

He was, for the most part. He had already been half changed by the time other people had started to walk in, and he was out the door before he could possibly be subjected to anything. It was hard to tell if he actually had eyes on him or not, but if doing this stopped the sick, cold feeling from rising to his chest, so be it.

He waited outside for Nott, close to the restrooms that were across from the girls’ locker room. He caught a few whispers that made him want to scoff, a few girls gossiping about him and Nott. Before he could decide whether or not he wanted to ignore it, it quieted, and Caleb watched as Nott stepped out.

She looked much more comfortable now that she was back in her hoodie and jeans, the mask tied right back on, dress code be damned. She looked around, her cheeks bunching up near her eyes once she saw Caleb, walking towards him. He offered her a small smile, resting his hand on her shoulder, squeezing ever so slightly.

He had no idea how in Exandria they were supposed to be apart for an entire hour. Five minutes alone had already been borderline torturous. They _needed_ each other- for safety, for companionship, for the familiarity of it all. Caleb squeezed her shoulder again, swallowing down the cold chill. 

They would be fine. They were to meet up again at lunch.

”Where’s forensics again?” Nott asked once they were sat up on the bleachers again. Caleb didn’t have to pull out his schedule in order to remember it.

”B307,” He answered, looking back at her, taking his eyes off the number of students that were coming back into the main gym from the locker rooms. He could still feel eyes on him and Nott, and with the whispers of gossip he overheard, he had no doubts that rumors were beginning to spread. 

Nott nodded, having yet to break eye contact. It was comforting. “And your Celestial class?” 

“A301,” He answered, receiving another nod from Nott. There was a slight twitch underneath the hood of her hoodie- probably her ear -and she scooted closer to him, holding on to his arm. Her eyebrows had furrowed and her eyes had moved, taking up glaring at the group at the bottom of the bleachers, and Caleb watched as a few heads were quick to turn the other way.

”I meant what I said, you know,” Caleb murmured, now glaring at the group as well. That group of people had done a lovely job of figuring out that they didn’t like people, and that they didn’t want attention. Now all that was left was for them to abide by their desires and leave them the hell alone. “About making sure nobody tries to hurt you.”

”I know, Caleb,” She murmured right back, her claws digging into the leather of his jacket slightly. “But this- this is normal. For me at least,”

Nott had been to public schools like this more than Caleb had, and had been to schools like this more recently too. It was why she had taken some initiative after entering the building. She knew how school worked much more than Caleb did. She knew what behaviors were normal, and which ones weren’t. Still, it didn’t sit right with Caleb. 

“Just because it is normal does not make it okay.”

That seemed to pull a smile from Nott, though the crease of her eyebrows definitely countered it.

”You’ve always been very smart, Caleb,”

~*~

They parted at Caleb’s Introduction to Celestial class, giving each other reassuring looks, attempting to calm their nerves. His hand squeezed her’s one last time before letting go, and with a quick breath, he walked into the class. A few heads turned to face him, but he didn’t bother returning the gestures, instead approaching the teacher.

After a brief conversation, he was selected to sit at the back of the room, filling in an empty seat. From there, he was able to shrink back, pulling out his binder and setting it on his desk, reviewing the information he had scribbled on it for his Common Literatures class. It wasn’t so much to memorize it, rather, it was to busy himself.

The tactic seemed to work, most of the other classmates noting his preoccupation and leaving him to his own devices. However, just out of his peripheral, he watched as a dark shape approached, and couldn’t resist his curiosity as he looked up.

The sight he was met with was intimidating and dark, and he instantly swallowed the cold lump in his throat, his palms growing sweaty. The first word that came to his mind was _big_ , the woman standing somewhere around six feet tall. Her eyes had dark smudges around them, her hair running from black at the roots to an almost pure white at the tips.

She wore a white tank top underneath a leather jacket, a silvery chain hanging from her neck. She was intimidating by definition, despite the awkward expression she wore on her face as she stared down at him. 

“Hallo,” She greeted after a moment, her voice matching the expression she had worn much more than it did her outward appearance. It helped ease Caleb’s nerves a little bit, him greeting her back with a small wave.

”H-Hallo-?”

Gods, he sounded pathetic in his own ears. He cleared his throat, though the woman didn’t seem to mind. If anything, her shoulders relaxed, her lips quirking into a small smile. She sat down next to Caleb, shrugging off a somewhat more ratty backpack. 

“I’m Yasha,” She introduced, her voice gentle and quiet, as if she was scared he would run off. That was a fair assessment though- that had been Caleb’s first instinct upon seeing her looming over him. 

“I am... I am C-Caleb,” Christ, what the hell was wrong with him? He needed Nott- she always knew how to make him feel better. She always knew how to ground him again.

Yasha was merciful though, not pressing conversation as she pulled out her binder, setting it up on her desk. As she looked towards the board, Caleb gave her a once over, his mind working overtime to assess the information that he had just been presented with. 

She was quiet and gentle, though intimidating and with enough muscle to potentially chuck Caleb across the room. Not many people were talking to her, meaning she was probably a loner of some kind, though she seemed fine with that. 

Caleb collected himself, steadying his breathing as he turned to a new page in his binder, scrawling something at the top.

_Yasha._

~*~

 The class came and went, and by the end of it, Caleb was hungry. He remembered the greasy breakfast he had packed away in his backpack, grimacing at the idea of actually eating it. Sure, he would if he had to, but he had hoped for something more edible than that.

The bell rang, and as students poured out of the rooms towards the mess hall, Caleb followed, keeping a close eye out for Nott. Unfortunately, it was hard to see her beyond the crowd, and Caleb was more or less pushed along.

He was a bit less coordinated than Nott and a little more polite, doing his best to make it through without tripping over someone or touching anybody. It was like walking through a minefield, and Caleb opted to keep his eyes ahead, avoiding eye contact and murmuring apologies under his breath. 

He found himself again in the familiar line, inching his way through and wordlessly choosing a hot meal- some sort of beef patty covered in gravy, served along with some mashed potatoes and sickly yellowish green beans. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to hold him over.

After punching in his lunch number, the woman helping them check out clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Honey,” She started, keeping her voice somewhat quiet. “You don’t have enough money in your account,”

Oh, that’s why her voice had been so quiet. To save him any embarrassment. 

“But I was able to get breakfast,” Caleb objected, only for the woman to shake her head. 

“Breakfast is free for all the students,” 

There was a pause as Caleb considered his options, and the woman sighed, taking his plate. He was a bit shocked at that, and seeing this, the woman reached out to pat his shoulder. 

“Unless you have enough money, you can’t get lunch. Sorry dear,”

Caleb never thought the food in the cafeteria would ever appear appetizing, but the hunger he had certainly was helping it’s image. It only seemed to emphasize the loss, and Caleb gave a slight nod, the woman taking the tray and setting it aside, allowing Caleb to step out from the line.

He stepped outside, heading towards the table he and Nott had picked, sitting down with a defeated sigh. He pulled the cold, greasy breakfast food from his backpack, grimacing at the sight of it. People around him were eating and laughing, talking with their friends, and Caleb found that loneliness didn’t sit well with hunger.

He took a moment to open the slick packaging, tearing the food in half. Nott would probably be hungry, and he wasn’t about to let her go without a meal. Caleb could and would survive without one- he didn’t eat that much to begin with. 

When he saw Nott again, he couldn’t say he was relieved.

She was sprinting towards him, her hands gripping something close to her chest. She looked downright terrified, and Caleb got up from his seat, almost immediately wanting to be by her side and protect her. As she got closer, he could see a group of three chasing after her- one of them being the blue tiefling from their gym class, the other two similarly muscled.

”Get back here you little rat-!” A girl yelled, seemingly leading the charge. Behind both her and the tiefling girl was a man with green skin, taller than the two of them. 

“Give it back-!” The tiefling girl demanded, her voice ringing a bit louder than the other girl’s.

Nott quickly scurried behind Caleb, her claws helping her climb up the back of his coat, her hands gripping on to Caleb’s shoulders to keep her upright. “I’m sorry,” She croaked, her voice shrill breathy, her chest beating raggedly against his upper back, terror coursing through her. Caleb instinctively reached for her hand, taking a few stumbled steps backwards, holding his hand out defensively. 

_He needed to protect her._

The girl who had called Nott a rat proved to be faster than the others, rushing forwards as she charged at them. Caleb grew pale for a moment, a cold sweat washing over him as his palm began to blacken. In an instant, a bolt of fire shot out, landing at the girl’s feet in a small explosion of sparks and embers. She stumbled, grinding to a halt and staring wide eyed. Just as Caleb was about to request that they stop, the tiefling was running up to them, getting close enough to try and pry Nott off of Caleb’s shoulders.

Caleb turned away swiftly, and Nott hissed at her, drawing something from the pocket of her hoodie. The flash of metal caught Caleb’s attention and made his blood run cold. He quickly shifted again, the girl squeaking at the sight of Nott’s pocket knife swinging just in front of her, only missing because Caleb had misdirected the slash.

_They weren’t supposed to be causing any trouble._

“Give me my money back!” She huffed after a moment, ignoring the slashing and continuing to try and pull Nott off his shoulders. When her hand reached Nott’s shirt, his goblin friend almost slipping off his back, Caleb panicked, elbowing the tiefling girl in an attempt to stop her. 

“What money?” He asked breathily, his attention split between the two of them as he tried to make sure neither of them hurt each other. Before he could receive an answer, the wind was knocked out of him, instantly being followed by a sharp, sore pain. He groaned, doubling over, one of his hands clutching at his stomach.

”Beau- the fuck?!” Another voice called, this one laced with a southern drawl. Caleb peered up, and apparently while he had gotten hit, the half orc man had caught up. Caleb’s vision was slightly blurry though, whether from years or dizziness, it didn’t really matter right now. What did matter was that it looked like he was trying to hold the girl back.

Nott, seeing Caleb hurt, let out a vicious snarl. He felt her leap off his back, accidentally pushing him to his knees, and he watched as she sprang at the girl who had hit him, a blur of green and black.

“I’ll- Ill fucking kill you-!” 

Caleb’s attempt to stand and stop her only caused his stomach to pull, a fiery pain shooting through him that only seemed to make the dizziness worse. So he stayed down, his only attempt at stopping her being a pained groan. He looked up at the sound of heavy footfalls, and as the figures got closer, his eyes widened.

_Sheiße._

His blood ran cold as a few teachers got closer, and he barely managed to croak out Nott’s name as a warning. She heard him, looking over her shoulder and cursing, quickly closing up her pocket knife and hiding it away. With her no longer attacking the restrained girl, the tiefling rushed over and pulled her away. She practically threw Nott to the ground near Caleb, pulling another groan from him. 

Luckily, Nott looked more pissed than injured, quickly scrambling to get to her feet. The teachers had now approached though, yelling and surrounding them, doing absolutely nothing to help Caleb’s pounding headache. It felt as if the floor was moving underneath him, and the presence of an authority figure was enough to make his blood turn to ice in his veins.

One teacher had rushed to Caleb’s aid, another to hold back the tiefling, and a third to help the half orc with the girl. He felt sick, like he needed to throw up in the bushes. His stomach was empty and the little muscle that was there was definitely bruised, movements leaving sharp pains shocking his system, though the adrenaline was helping even it out. But those feelings were nothing in comparison to what he felt when a stout woman came marching forwards, her face visibly red through her blurred complexion.

”Detention!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the feedback! it really makes my day. speaking of making- I made a tumblr!
> 
> https://happily-nervous.tumblr.com/

After a visit to the vice principal’s office, followed by a visit to the nurse, the sense of dread Caleb felt was enough to actually make him throw up. He’d keened over the private restroom attached to the nurse’s office, attempting to do it quietly. That proved to be a useless effort though- there was hardly any use in trying.

The bitter, acidic taste stayed in the back of his throat even after the nurse had handed him a peppermint, and he was practically as white as a sheet, his hands clammy from where he held on to Nott. His stomach was badly bruised, and Nott insisted her shoulder and back were fine, though she hadn’t objected to the ice pack she had been handed.

_Detention._

Their first day back and they’d already gotten detention. Thank the gods Bryce was amazing with their words- Caleb hoped he could rely on that. It had saved them before, hopefully it would save them again. Though, he was sure he and Nott were going to receive an earful by the time they returned to their new home.

The rest of the day trailed on slowly, Caleb almost not even mentally present for it. No, he was stuck inside his own head, his hand rhythmically squeezing Nott’s to try and alleviate the tension. He was going to be stuck in a room with the same people who had attacked Nott, the same girl who hadn’t hesitated to punch him in the stomach. And he was going to be stuck with them for _two hours_.

He’d focused more on his academics than he would have liked, staring at the board and taking in every little detail, doing almost anything he could to ground himself. He was almost disappointed in himself- he had really tried to be better, but apparently it hadn’t worked.

The ringing of the bell was what gave him a bit more support, Nott putting away her notes. “I’m sorry,” She murmured, Caleb squeezing her hand slightly. As people cleared out of the classroom, Caleb found himself walking towards their meeting point at the foot of the main stairwell. 

They’d all been instructed to meet here and wait for Vice Principal Norda, and then they’d be taken to the detention room.

When they arrived, the girl who had punched Caleb was there already. She looked frustrated, her knees to her chest and her arms crossed on top of them. She glared at them as they approached, and Caleb tugged Nott a little closer, sitting with her on the floor by the stairs instead of on the steps. The tiefling showed up with the half orc in tow a few minutes later, standing next to and trying to spark conversation with the girl.

”Come on Beau, it won’t be that bad,” The tiefling attempted, but even then, her words fell flat. The girl- Beau -scoffed.

”We wouldn’t even be here if that bitch hadn’t stolen from you,” She muttered, and Caleb gave Nott a curious look, only for her to shrink further against Caleb’s side. Caleb wasn’t going to ask why she did it- not right now at least. He was probably going to find out when Bryce asked them anyways. For now, keeping Nott safe was Caleb’s priority. 

“I’m sure if we had just asked her to return the money, we would’ve avoided it too,” The half orc pointed out, only to be subjected to a dagger sharp glare from Beau. The half orc’s hands raised defensively, his shoulders shrugging slightly with the movement. “I’m just saying, not everything needs to be settled with a fight.”

”Alright-y then! Be quiet,” A voice called, causing Caleb to tense, his eyes instantly darting back to the ground. The woman that approached them was the same dwarven figure from before, someone Caleb had learned was Vice Principal Norda. Despite her stature, she was fierce, and her position of power and stern attitude definitely didn’t sit well with Caleb. “Detention is going to be up in the library today, so get a move on,”

The tiefling girl and the half orc started to move up the stairs, Beau following a moment after, Caleb wincing as he got to his feet and followed behind. He held Nott’s hand like a lifeline, following the others up the stairs and down a hallway, his eyes mostly trained on the floor. There were no classes on the hall, only large double doors on either end. They entered through one of the sets of double doors, and Caleb glanced up, his eyes widening slightly.

If they hadn’t been here for detention, Caleb would have been ecstatic. The large room was two levels, with tall bookshelves lining almost every wall. Plants were set on the windowsills, some hanging from wicker baskets strung from the ceiling. Incredible art projects were hung in frames along the unobscured walls, and on the lower level of the library, there were a few desks. 

After going down the stairs, Caleb’s eyes still taking in every little detail, the students started sitting in chairs at the desks. Caleb pulled Nott towards a more isolated table, not wanting to stir up any more trouble, his gaze landing back on her. She didn’t seem to share Caleb’s wonder, and her expression seemed guilty, antsy. He let his expression mellow out- right, this was a punishment. They could get in trouble for this. Once everyone was situated, Norda stood in front of all the tables, clearing her throat.

”Now, for two hours, there will be no talking. You are not leave this room, is that understood?” She stated, her questions met with nodded heads. She huffed, eyebrows still furrowed with annoyance. “My office is across the hall. I will be filling out paperwork for your actions. Do not try anything,”

With that, she walked out, leaving through the large double doors. The tension hung in the room, and for a while, Caleb just worked on grounding himself, focusing on the clock and how much time had passed. Nott fidgeted next to him, occasionally glancing at the others, only to instead look back at the table.

Once he felt a little better, the sick anxiety mellowing out into tolerable dread, he sighed, letting his chin rest against his hands, elbows propped up on the table. He glanced around at the others, finding the girl to be staring at him, her eyes narrowed into a hard glare. She appeared human, dark skinned with darker hair styled in an undercut. She wore a blue track jacket over a crop top, along with a pair of track pants. The slightly smudged makeup around her eyes did nothing to make her appear more friendly, and neither did the piercings in her ears, her nose, and one of her furrowed brows.

He swallowed, looking away from her and instead looking towards the books on the walls. He would love to read them- he could probably sit there for hours, just reading. 

Technically, there was nothing stopping him.

That thought definitely earned his attention, an almost amused hum coming from him. He didn’t have to look back up at the clock to know he had an hour and fifty six minutes to kill, and well, she didn’t say he couldn’t leave his seat. Just that he couldn’t leave the room. 

It took him another minute or two to work up the courage, and then he stood up, wincing at the stinging pain in his stomach as he did so. He paid the concerned looks from the others no mind, instead making an effort to get to the nearest book shelf. Each step made him wince a little, his arm wrapping around his stomach to possibly soothe the ache. But, he made it in front of one of the filled shelves, his eyes moving to scan over the books.

He ignored the annoyed “What are you doing?” That came from Beau, instead letting his finger run over one of the spines. There was a thin smile on his lips as he read over the titles- no doubt trashy romance novels. At least it was something interesting.

He picked up on the sound of another chair moving, creaking against the floor, followed by a slightly louder and more annoyed, “Hey, asshole! I’m talking to you,”. However, he opted to ignore it, pulling out the book and reviewing the cover, unable to help the amused smile on his face. The cover was just about as horrible as the title was, with a girl fawning over a more muscular half-orc man in front of a lake.

Apparently, ignoring tormentors didn’t make him any less of a target.

His shoulder was roughly shoved against the bookshelf before he could even think, the girl’s hand pushing his back uncomfortably against the wall. “Do you like breaking the rules and dicking over other people, or are you just that stupid?” She practically hissed, and Caleb hardly reacted- not even a wince to credit the uncomfortable position his shoulder had been forced into.

”Beau,” The half orc said warningly, only to be cut off by Nott, the tiny goblin girl jumping out of her chair and rushing forwards, her pocket knife in hand.

”Get the fuck away from him!” 

Beau didn’t back away, didn’t pry her hand off his shoulder. However, she did look down at Nott, her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw set in a scowl. Nott was glaring, looking almost blood thirsty, her knuckles pale from how tightly she was gripping her knife. “Look, okay, I’m sorry for stealing from you- but he had nothing to do with it,” She protested. 

“Why the fuck did you steal from Jester?!” Beau asked, seemingly frustrated with the whole ordeal, her grip on Caleb’s shoulder tightening again. He didn’t wince, stifling any sort of reaction, and instead focused on the seconds that ticked by. She’d never been nice to him, it was fine. She hadn’t betrayed his trust- she couldn’t do that if he never trusted her. “If you didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be here in the first place!”

”I know- I know, and I’m sorry,” Nott continued, flicking her wrist and pointing the pocket knife up at Beau. “I don’t want to cause any more trouble. So why don’t you let him go, and I’ll put my knife away,”

Beau glared down at Nott, seeming to take the idea into consideration, when the tiefling- Jester -spoke up.

”Why did you take my money though?” She asked, and the question caught Caleb’s attention, his eyes shifting back and forth from Jester to Nott. He’d been curious of the same thing, and did actually want to ask her. But, he kept silent, not wanting to pressure his friend. Nott looked back at the girl, her expression softening a bit, her hand moving to rub the back of her neck.

”We, ah, had no money in our accounts,” She answered almost sheepishly, and the reminder of lunch made Caleb’s stomach twist painfully. Gods- he hadn’t eaten anything, had he? If anything, he was emptier than he had been at the beginning of the day. And now he wouldn’t be able to eat for another two hours.

Jester seemed sympathetic, her face settling into a pitying look. “Why didn’t you just ask though? We have two classes together, and I totally would have helped out,” 

Nott cringed at the idea, shaking her head. “I uh, I would prefer not to _beg_ other people for lunch money, thank you,” She answered, and Caleb definitely felt the same. They were new- being new and dirt poor wasn’t exactly good. And usually, when they stole things, it ran a little more successful.

Jester sighed, then looked back at Caleb. “Beau, let him go. They’re probably hungry still,” She requested, and Beau took a minute to gape at her, and then looked back at Caleb. She stared for a moment, and Caleb fought back any reaction, his gaze absent and his face expressionless. If he was blank, she wouldn’t be mad. She would have no reason to be. Eventually, she nodded, letting go of his shoulder. 

He didn’t put his book back as he walked to his seat, his hand reaching for Nott’s shoulder, squeezing an appreciative thanks. She nodded, walking back to the table with him. When they sat down, two doughnuts were slid their way, causing the pair to look back towards the tiefling. She smiled, a third one set in front of her. 

“Next time just be sure to ask me, okay?”

Caleb stared at her, disbelief evident on his face. She seemed genuine though, and upon seeing she’d caught his attention, she offered him a smile and an extended hand. “I’m Jester. And you are _very_ stinky, you know,”

Caleb’s expression didn’t change, but he found himself hesitantly extending a hand, still not entirely trusting her. She was popular and strong- not as strong as Yasha, but definitely with enough muscle to lift him up off the floor. If she was acting nice, there was always a chance that it was just to gain their trust and get them in more trouble. She took his hand, giving a firm shake, grinning all the while. 

“My... My name is C-Caleb. Caleb Widogast,” He introduced, his voice still somewhat shaky and quiet. He swallowed, trying to regain his composure. If he didn’t react, they wouldn’t know that they had gotten to him. “And you and I have only just met?”

”Yeah, but I wouldn’t want to be walking around all stinky and not having anyone tell me.” She explained, her voice quick and bubbly, much louder than Caleb’s own. She riffled through her backpack again, pulling out a small tube. “Do you have any deodorant? I can give you some of that too,”

His ears went a little bit pink at that, the rest of his expression settling back into a blank stare. That said, the coloration to his ears only worsened once he heard a more bass-y chuckle come from the half orc, the man’s head hung and a grin stretching across his face. 

“Sorry about her, she’s a little excitable,” He apologized, looking up and grinning at Caleb. There was a pale scar stretching across his forehead and through his eyebrow, another one curving up his upper lip. A single streak of white hair stood at the center of his hairline, the rest of his hair jet black. His clothes were also a bit nicer than Caleb and Nott’s, a black jacket with olive green sleeves being worn over a white button up. He was attractive, and Caleb could let himself admit that under the guise that it was a simple statement of fact. 

“Ooh- or you could borrow Fjord’s if you want to smell extra manly!”

And apparently, he smelled extra manly.

The half orc- Fjord -only shook his head sheepishly. A hand was extended his way, one Caleb accepted with slightly less hesitancy. “The name’s Fjord, and uh, I do have some deodorant if you want it,” He said, a slight chuckle in his words. Caleb nodded, glancing back at Nott for any sense of reassurance, only to find that she had already started scarfing down her doughnut, her mask set to the side of her face.

Seeing Caleb look at her, Nott moved to set her mask back in place, the bunching of her cheeks indicating she had yet to actually finish the doughnut- or at the very least she had stuffed it into her mouth. “‘M Nod,” 

Taking that as a sign of trust, Caleb steadied his breathing- since when had his breathing turned more shallow? -and he nodded. Jester grinned at that, pulling a few bottles out from her bag, setting them up on her desk. “Do you want to smell like musk or a bakery?” She asked, looking at him with almost doll like eyes.

“I am sorry- musk?”

“A bakery it is then!”

All at once, the different products were set in front of him. At a simple glance, it seemed to consist of a stick of cinnamon scented deodorant, vanilla scented perfume, a brown sugar and fig scented lotion, and more. The scent of the bottles alone was enough to make Caleb grimace, much to Jester’s delight.

He supposed he had nothing better, and it would be rude to turn down an offer, avoiding eye contact as he applied the deodorant. He capped it, deciding to only put on the perfume next, then handing back all the products to her. She giggled, taking them back, setting them in her bag.

The near delicious scents had reminded him of the doughnut he received, and he began to pick at it, a small bit of tension building inside of him. It was similar to what he felt before- regret and distrust. These good things had the potential to become bad things- Caleb already knew that. He didn’t need it to happen to him again, and he certainly didn’t need it to happen to Nott.

Beau had walked back over from her place by the bookshelf, sitting on one of the desks and watching Caleb and Nott. She looked contemplative, and after a moment, she spoke. “So, where are you two from?”

For a second, Caleb was reminded of that girl in his first period- Maddie, not that he really wanted to remember -and he cringed. Seeing his hesitance, Beau leaned back, her legs spread wide.

”If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. I just figured since we’re going to be stuck here for another two hours, there’s really nothing else to do,”

”I’m from the coast,” Jester supplied after a second, leaning on her hands. “So is Fjord. We knew each other in elementary school,”

“Yeah, and I’m from Kamordah,” 

The information was a bit much, and while Caleb still didn’t entirely trust them, it would be kind of a dick move to not tell them where he was from. Trust was a two way street, and although he had no use for the information they gave him, he needed to trust them similarly.

”I... I am from the Zemni Fields, further north,” He answered, keeping his phrasing a bit vague. Seeing his response, Nott followed along.

”I’m from Felderwin,”

An inquisitive hum came from Beau after Nott said that, the human girl leaning back a little more comfortably on the desk. Caleb looked at her curiously, and seeing she had gained his attention, Beau spoke. “You’ve got an interesting situation going on there, Nod. You cold? Sick?”

Caleb leaned forwards in an attempt to block Nott off from view, the goblin girl now looking a little uncomfortable. Caleb glared up at the girl, only to find Beau’s expression hadn’t changed much, the only difference being a quirked eyebrow and a small smile. It was kind of unnerving.

”It’s uh- it’s Nott, actually,” Nott corrected, her voice just a little bit higher. “And uh-“

Beau’s almost smug expression hadn’t faded as Nott spoke, her eyes analytical, and Caleb decided he didn’t quite like that girl. 

“Look,” He started, surprising himself with the low hiss that came out, but not letting himself stop or correct it. “We understand that goblins are not exactly welcome, so it would be better if you did not make a big deal of it,”

Beau’s eyebrows rose, her smile dropping for just a moment, and Caleb thought, _good._  It felt good to wipe that Cheshire like grin off her face. It felt maybe a little less good to watch her eyebrows furrow at him, her eyes narrowing in a sharp glare.

“I’m not making a-“

”You’re a goblin?!” 

Caleb looked back towards Jester, the tiefling’s eyes wide and her eyebrows raised up in surprise. Her mouth was agape, her eyes tracing across Nott’s face, her vantage point giving her a better view of his friend. Caleb tensed for a moment, relaxing only slightly when her lips curled into a giddy grin. 

“I knew it! That’s like, a super good disguise though- If people weren’t talking about it after gym, I totally wouldn’t have known-“ She rambled, catching Caleb’s attention, feeling a little bit more uneasy.

”People were talking about her?”

”Well not just about _her,”_ Jester corrected, though it didn’t do much to calm him. “They also talked about you, and the weird bandages you have on your arms, and how they thought you guys were totally dating with how protective you were of each other-“

That little piece of information was enough to make both Nott and Caleb grimace, similarly disgusted looks on their faces. 

“That- That is _not_ accurate. She is like a younger sister to me,” Nott nodded at Caleb’s statement, her disgusted expression having yet to leave. If not for the circumstances, he would have found it endearing the way her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes went wide, one eyebrow raised just a little higher than the other. 

Jester raised her hands defensively, her tail swooshing by her legs, swaying back and forth. “Hey, I’m only telling you what people have been saying. If you want, I can tell them all that you guys are super cool and also not dating,” She offered.

Caleb nodded- yes, that would be great. He wasn’t entirely trusting of her, but she did seem a bit nicer and more approachable than Beau, and had been one of the first to make an effort in understanding them. If she somehow took what he said and used it against him, he would just build more walls, and live and learn.

”Where did you two meet?” Fjord asked. During the conversation, he had shifted, moving his chair so that he could better face Nott and Caleb. He looked more relaxed and calm than the others, and he appeared to be more genuine too. Less like he was hiding something, less bouncy.

Caleb contemplated for just a second what would happen if he told them- it wasn’t exactly the best past, and if they spread rumors, it could easily result in further isolation and tormenting. There was even the slightest risk they would have to change schools, and dear gods, that would be a lot of work for Bryce.

”If you tell us how you met Jester, I will tell you how Nott and I met,” 

Fjord’s lips quirked up in a smile, the scar curving up his lip giving it a whole other level of charm. There was nothing smug about his expression, it was warm and familiar, and Caleb opted to ignore the fluttery feeling in his chest. It was probably just his nerves anyways.

”I uh- back when I lived on the coast, I got made fun of a bit. There aren’t too many half orcs out there, and I wasn’t exactly the cutest looking thing. Kind of, uh,” Fjord cleared his throat at this point, looking a little bit sheepish as he moved to rub the back of his neck. “Kind of had a bit of weight on me? There were a lot of reasons kids made fun of me.”

Caleb nodded, not letting his expression falter, no matter how much he wanted to show sympathy. If Fjord was a good liar- Caleb didn’t want to believe that though -then the whole story could be made up. It was hard to tell, but Caleb figured it was the truth. 

“One day when I was gettin’ picked on, Jester showed up. I hadn’t seen her before, and she managed to chase the other kids off. It was kind of incredible,” Jester smiled at this point, offering a slight giggle. "She was lonely, and so was I, and now we both had a friend,”

”Why were you lonely?” Nott asked, looking towards Jester curiously, her head somewhat cocked to the side. “You talk with loads of people, and you definitely have a bit of authority,”

Caleb remembered what Jester had said, and he couldn’t help but agree. Jester had the ability to stop some of the gossip. She’d hung out with the student athletes like it was no big deal, and she had the charm to win anyone over. _Queen of the school._

”Wellll,” Jester started, leaning back in her chair a bit, her tail winding around the leg of the table so that she wouldn’t fall backwards. “My mom is kind of the best sex worker in the coast, and she’s super famous and stuff, so people don’t really like knowing she has me,” She answered, letting this information slip as if it was the simplest of discussions. “The government also didn’t really think a brothel was the best place for me to grow up- even though it was super cool and I was totally _fine_ -so I had to move here.”

”Meanwhile, the government didn’t think Driftwood Asylum was the best place for me- yeah, it was a fuckin’ terrible name for an orphanage,” Fjord explained, and Caleb realized his expression must’ve given away his concern, and he quickly worked to settle it back into his usual calm nonchalance. “So I moved in with a foster parent named Vandren. He’s kind of more like an uncle, to be honest. Jes’ here moved in with us too,”

Caleb let the story hang in the air for a moment, then nodded, assessing it all. There was hardly any chance they were lying, and Fjord seemed genuine enough to not use his information against him. Or at the very least, he hoped he wouldn’t. 

“So, what’s up with you two?” Beau asked, staring down at Caleb, and that was a factor that made him think twice. He still knew hardly anything about this girl other than the fact that she had a smug demeanor and a punk attitude. She was secretive, and that was a little intimidating.

”Are you going to tell us anything about yourself, or are you only going to sit and listen?” 

She hummed after a moment, propping one leg up on the table, a smirk tugging at her lips. “My life’s kind of fucking lame, but alright. My dad owns a brewery, and spends more time with the business than he does with me. I met Jester during gym class in eighth grade, and met Fjord like a day or two later,” Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed at her, and she shrugged, her eyes closing indifferently. “Told you; I’m kind of boring,”

Caleb sighed softly, nodding. He turned in his seat so that he could face the others, his elbows propping against his knees, his chin resting against his hands. Beau was probably lying- there was definitely more to her. But Caleb at least owed it to Jester and Fjord. 

Still holding a bit of apprehension, he turned and looked back at Nott, who was staring at him with anticipation. It would be wrong to tell them without her permission- she had just as much a say in it as he did. She seemed to realize her options as he looked back at her, and she nodded, clearing her throat.

”Caleb and I met in juvie,”


	3. Chapter 3

Caleb couldn’t exactly say the silence that hung in the air was comforting.

He looked towards the table, attempting to ignore the tension in the room, attempting to ignore the cold sensation that washed over him. This was more extreme than it had been all day- it felt like he’d been completely submerged in frigid water, his body going completely numb aside from the underside of his feet. His palms felt tingly, like they’d been hit with a cold sweat.

He almost considered opening up the trashy romance novel he’d selected when Beau let out a low whistle, causing his ears to almost burn. These were people he’d trusted- at least momentarily, and their silence told all the judgement they now held. Caleb and Nott were criminals, and these people knew that now. 

“What’d you get in for?”

"Stealing a bottle of fireball,” Nott answered easily, though she sounded just about as stiff as Caleb felt. She let out a crisp, awkward laugh, it piercing through the air. “I may- uh, I may of had a problem?”

There’s a momentary pause, and it did nothing to help Caleb’s anxiety. Thankfully, Nott started talking again.

”I-I ran away from my home in Felderwin. I was in juvie for a little longer than Caleb, and then they put him in with me,” She explained, her voice a little lower, either sad or serious. “We became friends, obviously, and one day a social worker named Bryce started talking to us. After talking with Caleb and I, well, they wanted to get us out. So, they worked for it, and now we’re under their custody,”

There was a somewhat loud thunking noise as the front legs to the chair Jester had been sitting in rocked forwards, landing harshly on the ground. Caleb jumped, his eyes quickly taking in her excited demeanor, her tail swishing back and forth at an almost rapid pace. Awkwardly, Caleb glanced between Fjord and Beau, trying to get a read. Fjord, at most, seemed concerned for Jester in her antics, while Beau had remained lax. At least they weren’t off put by the information Nott had given them.

”You guys know Bryce?” Jester asked, and the excited tone earned Caleb’s attention again. When he looked up at her, she was practically vibrating in her seat, a giddy grin on her face.  “Long, blond hair? Elven?”

Caleb nodded- that did sound a lot like their Bryce. 

“When I first moved here, I stayed with them,” Jester explained, and Caleb felt a little bit of relief- if they knew Bryce, that meant he could ask them about what to expect from these people. “They’re really cool- they’re the one who let me go and live with Fjord. Can you say hi to them for me?”

 “Of- Of course,” Caleb stammered. While it was good that they knew Bryce, it was also a bit of a shock. “You all- you will not tell anyone, right?”

“‘Course we won’t. Everyone’s got their own shit going on,” Beau assured, kicking her feet back and forth. It seemed she couldn’t exactly sit still for ten minutes, as she had switched her position on the desk a few times already. “Besides, I’m not that kind of person.”

Caleb couldn't say he fully believed her on that, but it did seem a little more genuine than anything else she’d said. So, instead of questioning it, he nodded, working on mellowing his expression from its previous shocked and skittish look. 

“There is something I’d like to ask you though, if you don’t mind,” Caleb hummed, looking up towards Fjord. “Today, when we- when we fought, you kind of shot shit out of your hands,”

Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed the conversation had sparked Nott’s interest. “Caleb has magic- he’s very good at it,” She boasted, leaning forwards on the table, making herself more visible. Fjord’s eyebrow raised- the one with the scar running through it -and he smiled curiously at Caleb.

”Really now?”

Caleb’s ears dusted pink, his focus being shifted to making sure he kept his expression as nonchalant as possible, working out his nervous energy by shifting in his seat. 

“Yes! He can make lights, and fire, and- oh! He can make a cat appear out of thin air,” Nott continued to list, her voice growing in volume with her excitement. She gasped quietly, turning to Caleb, her eyes practically shining. “Do you think you can make him appear now?”

Caleb looked around the room for a moment- this was something a bit more personal -and he nodded. Trusting everyone in the room was going to take a while, but he should put some effort into it. If he and Nott had friends, it meant they had people who could defend them from others.

With a snap of his fingers, a _fwoomph_  sound emanated from underneath the table, an orange cat stepping out. It leaned up against his leg, purring, and Caleb couldn’t hold back his sigh.

Frumpkin was incredibly calming, almost therapeutic. Feeling just a little more comfortable, he leaned down, scooping up the cat and setting it in his lap. Frumpkin let out a confused chirp as he was picked up, but was quick to get comfortable against Caleb, cuddling against his chest and purring.

”Aww!” Jester cooed, leaning towards Caleb and Nott. “He’s such a cute little kitty!” 

“That’s amazing, Caleb,” Fjord complimented, one of his hands on Jester’s shoulder as the tiefling girl made kissy noises in an attempt to capture Frumpkin’s attention. The compliment made Caleb’s eyes trail back to the floor and his hand run through Frumpkin’s fur, attempting to calm himself with the texture.

“It is. He’s very smart, he’s even been teaching me some magic. It’s very impressive,” Nott agreed, and he could practically hear her pride in her voice. It was an odd thing she did- she seemed to like telling Caleb he was doing good, that he was making her proud. It never failed in making him flustered, though that didn’t mean it was a bad thing. It just didn’t make sense to him considering everything he was doing was very basic level magic.

”I can do magic too!” Jester chimed, and Caleb looked up from Frumpkin just in time to watch her slam both her palms together in a stiff motion. The resulting sound was loud, causing a few of the plants to rustle, the hanging baskets swaying as if pushed by a strong breeze. It startled Caleb, his eyes wide as his posture straightened.

The sounds of distant cursing caught their ears, and suddenly everyone in the room was scrambling to act natural- Beau sliding off the desk and into her seat, Caleb scrambling to hide the book in his coat, and Frumpkin was climbing up his chest and shoulder to hide between Caleb’s neck and his scarf. Fjord was cursing under his breath, moving both his and Jester’s chair back into a normal position, Jester’s eyes wide. Caleb’s heart was pounding against his ribs by the time Ms. Norda stormed back in, her face growing red.

“What the hell was that?!”

”We have no idea, Ms. Norda,” Beau replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm and boredom. “We were all just sitting here, not talking, just like you said,”

Ms. Norda didn’t seem to buy that for a second, her expression openly showing her frustration and exasperation. Instead of looking for Beau to confess, she looked around at the others. Fjord coughed into his hand, looking at the table. 

“I think a uh- a bird flew into the window or something.” 

Caleb could hear his own heartbeat echoing in his ears, Ms. Norda now staring down Fjord. He didn’t give any ground though, simply staring back at her, unmoving.

_“A bird.”_

”It might have been a- a hawk or somethin’. A big bird.”

The tension in the air was deafening, and Caleb wondered if she was able to hear his heartbeat, hear his quickened breathing. After fourteen seconds- Caleb had taken to counting them in an attempt to calm himself -she sighed, pinching at the bridge of her nose.

”Well let’s hope no more _birds_ go flying into our windows, or else I might have to delay my paperwork until your next detention,” She huffed, giving each of them a good glare. When she reached Caleb, he tugged on his scarf, pulling it up just a bit higher in an attempt to hide Frumpkin. But, considering the way her eyebrows furrowed at him, her jaw setting into a scowl, he’d only gained her attention. “What are you doing?”

Caleb’s mind worked quickly, a simple lie rolling off his tongue. “I-I get cold easily, Miss,” He answered, doing his best to meet her eyes, or at the very least look at the clock just beyond her head. One, two, three seconds ticked by, and he cleared his throat, repeating himself a bit louder. “I said, I get cold easil-“

“I know. I heard you,” She replied coolly, obviously not quite believing him, but not caring enough to further look into it. Another five seconds, and she sighed, looking up at them with tired exasperation. “If I hear another noise come from this room, it’s another detention for all of you. I want no more trouble from the five of you, understood?”

There’s a small chorus of begrudging _‘Yes Ma’am’_ s, and then Ms. Norda was gone, her shoes clacking down the hallway. Caleb sighed in relief, Frumpkin getting up from his hiding place to look around the room, nuzzling up against Caleb’s face. 

Jester looked sheepish, her expression apologetic and awkward as she looked around at the group, waving her hands stiffly.

”Ta-da-?”

Beau practically snorted with laughter, doubling over onto the desk, her face scrunching up. “Yeah, Jessie-!” She yelled, only to be shushed by Fjord and Jester, an adrenaline pumped grin curling up the face of the latter. Beau clapped a few times, then turned to Fjord, her hand setting harshly on his shoulder. “And I’m sorry- _a big bird-?”_

Fjord seemed to flush slightly, and he coughed into his hand again, sending Beau a glare. “Well damn, sorry for not being able to think up anything on the spot.” He muttered, and Caleb had to hang his head in order to mask his smile, shaking his head. This group was quite entertaining.

When he looked up, Beau’s eyes were fixed on his, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “And you, Widogast- _‘I get cold easily’?”_ She teased, only for Nott to huff indignantly.

”I thought that went very well.”

That pulled another few giggles from Jester, the adrenaline in the air making them all a bit giddy. Caleb could still hear his pulse echoing, though it had quieted down now that Ms. Norda had left the room. 

“No, no, that was great. Amazing job guys,” Beau replied, leaning back in her chair to get a better look at Nott, grinning ear to ear. “That was fantastic. She definitely believed every single word.”

They got a moment for the adrenaline to settle and calm, Caleb slumping into his chair and letting Frumpkin curl up against his chest. The weight of the cat was enough to remind him of the book he had haphazardly stuffed into his coat, the weight of the cover pressing uncomfortably against his ribs. Sighing, he took it out, taking a second to inspect the cover.

”What book is that, Caleb?” Jester asked, her voice soft and breathy after she’d laughed so hard, her smile having calmed. She was rather endearing when she wasn’t bouncing off the walls.

Caleb hummed, turning the book around to show her the cover. “I was just looking for anything, really,” He explained, turning the cover back so he could see it, smiling slightly. “Apparently it is called Tusk Lo-“

A flurry of giggles cut him off, giving him time to purse his lips and fight off an amused grin, his head tilting at Jester’s reaction. He glanced at the others, swallowing his amusement and allowing the curiosity to show instead. Beau had a thin smirk on her lips, while Fjord had opted to lean over the table, his hand tugging on his hair.

”Why are you laughing?”

”That is only the _best_ love story ever,” Jester said, a coy smirk curling up her lips, a devilish look in her eye. It only further prompted Caleb’s curiosity. “It’s about this half-orc named Oskar-with-a-k, and how this girl falls in love with him-“

”And they bone within an inch of their lives,”

Caleb glanced over at Beau, seeing her grinning at Jester, only for the tiefling to groan. 

“Yes, they do bone a lot, but like- it’s more than that. It’s _romantic,”_

”It’s nearly six hundred pages of porn,” Beau countered smugly, that teasing grin on her face. It’s funny- Jester was hardly blushing, but Fjord’s face was a somewhat darker color than it was at the beginning of the conversation.

”So you have read it?”

The question caught Beau off guard, her gaze redirecting back to Caleb, the usually nonchalant expression he held now containing a bit of playfulness, the left corner of his lip tugging upwards just slightly.

”Of course I’ve read it. Jester practically forced me,” Beau answered smoothly, only for Jester to lean in her chair, her hands planting themselves on her desk. 

“That’s not true! You _loved_ it,”

Beau, for just a second, seemed a little more open, her eyebrows slightly raised as she stared at the tiefling girl. There seemed to be a faint blush on her face, and it was strange to see such a stoic figure of kilter. The moment only lasted a second though, and Beau sighed, leaning back in her chair and putting some distance between her and Jester.

”I only liked it because you seemed so happy talking about it,” She huffed, blowing a strand of hair out from her face. Jester smiled, leaning closer to Beau- tilting her chair in a way that would have been precarious if her tail hadn’t wound around the table leg again.

”Aww, Beau, that’s so sweet,”

Her coo was met with a roll of Beau’s eyes, the girl now looking at the ground. It was amusing to watch, considering Beau had seemed to smug and unmovable a little bit ago. Maybe that was just the effect Jester had on people- it would explain why people liked her so much.

There was a moment of calm silence, and then Jester was rifling through her backpack, pulling out a pack of playing cards. “Do any of you guys want to play Crick Queen’s Call?” She asked, already beginning to shuffle and separate the cards.

”Sure, sounds fun,” Beau hummed, standing up and moving her chair to sit at Jester and Fjord’s table. Fjord had lifted his head up, watching Jester cut the deck, and he nodded, groaning softly as he sat up right.

”How do you play?” Nott asked curiously, Jester turning to face her, a shocked expression on her face. 

“You don’t know how to play?”

”Not really, no,” She answered, shaking her head. Jester smiled, and began explaining the rules- Fjord occasionally jumping in with a subtle correction, Jester just repeating what he said and continuing on in her fast paced explanation. Once Caleb and Nott had gained a vague explanation of the rules, they pulled up their chairs, and started to play.

Caleb could hardly contain his amused smirk when he saw both Nott and Jester cheating, subtly swapping out cards and holding more than they probably should have been. Beau could barely hold a decent poker face, and Fjord actually seemed to be taking it seriously. They only stopped playing once they heard the familiar clacking echoing down the hall, scrambling to put the cards back and get back in their proper places.

After a bit of shuffling, they just managed to get back in place as Ms. Norda walked back in, seemingly a bit pleased. She stood at the front, her expression stern yet approving, the usual scowl absent.

”Let this be a warning to you all; no causing any more trouble, or else your punishments may be far worse.” A few nods seemed to gain her approval, and she took a step back, gesturing out to the back door. “You may now leave. I hope I never see you here again,”

Caleb stood, the ache in his side mostly forgotten as he collected his things, taking the occasional glance towards the others. He wondered if this would be a one time thing- if they were just being polite so that nothing worse happened in the two hours they were together. Luckily, Jester caught his eye, flashing him a grin.

They were silent as they left the library, but the second they were out, Jester spoke up. 

“Do you guys want to sit with us at lunch tomorrow?” She offered, and for a second, it caught Caleb off guard. “You guys seem pretty cool, and I still need to beat Nott at cards,”

Caleb glanced down at Nott, only to see her grinning fiercely. Her mask had come off some time during the card game, after Jester complained that it was a permanent poker face. Nott’s eyebrows were furrowed, a toothy grin stretching across her face in a way that almost looked painful.

”What you need to do is prepare to _lose,”_ She corrected, then glancing back up at Caleb, her expression mellowing just slightly. “If that’s alright with you Caleb?”

Caleb chuckled, reaching down and ruffling Nott’s hair. “Of course,” He murmured, unable to prevent the small smile from slipping onto his face, an expression he reserved solely for Nott and Frumpkin. He liked seeing her happy. He liked to watch her eyes light up, liked to watch her smile- jagged, toothy, and possibly a little menacing. If these people could continue making her happy, he would definitely be staying with them.

He didn't think he could admit to himself that they made him feel a bit safe. Not yet.

But at the very least, they were entertaining.


	4. Chapter 4

When Caleb climbed into the passenger side of the van, Bryce didn’t look pleased. That said, they didn’t look angry either- which was good.

”Would either of you care to explain what happened?” They sighed, and Caleb glanced at Nott from the rear view mirror, seeing the guilt and shame on her face. Her ears had drooped, and she wasn’t looking up at Bryce. So, Caleb cleared his throat.

”It was a misunderstanding,” He started, only for Bryce to turn and give him an interesting look, their eyebrow cocked and their lips pressed tightly together. Had the air in the car not been so tense, it might have been amusing. It only made Caleb grimace internally, his brain working instinctually to keep his expression nonchalant and unresponsive. “Old habits die hard, but we are trying. We are sorry, Bryce,”

”Yeah,” Nott murmured, her voice making Bryce sigh again, straitening their posture and looking back at the road. They pulled out of the school slowly, beginning to drive back home.

”So long as you promise not to start any more fights, I won’t bring it up,” 

Caleb nodded appreciatively- Bryce was truly a wonderful person. They knew how to care for Caleb and Nott in ways that definitely weren’t normal. They knew how to ground Caleb, knew how to read him. They knew how to care for Nott, and what to tell her. Bryce was one of the first people to treat them like people, and Caleb was so grateful for it.

”Aside from that, how was your day?”

Caleb hummed, thinking about how best to answer the question. His lips quirked in a thin smile, and he looked out the window as he spoke.

”Jester says hi,”

Thank gods they were at a stop light, otherwise the force Bryce had hit the breaks with would have given them whiplash. They turned to face Caleb, their eyes wide and a stunned smile curling up their face. 

“You met Jester?”

Caleb chuckled, nodding. “We met Beau and Fjord too,” He added, and Bryce calmed only slightly from the initial shock, a wide grin on their face. “They seem interesting,”

”How did you all meet?” Bryce asked excitedly, pulling a small snort of laughter from Nott in the back seat. 

“We got into a fight with them,”

Bryce’s expression made Caleb laugh, their previously proud and curious smile contorting into perplexed and amused. They sighed, and the expression changed again, Bryce hanging their head and smiling softly. “Of course you did,”

“Bryce, green,”

”Shit- right. Thank you, Caleb,”

The car kept moving, going passed the light Bryce had accidentally stopped at. They kept their eyes on the road, still attempting to keep the conversation going. 

“So the five of you were stuck in detention together? How did that go?”

Nott leaned forwards, pressing her hands to the sides of both Caleb’s seat and Bryce’s, turning her head slightly in order to look at their face. She had that mischievous little grin on her face, her smile cocked to the side, and eyebrow quirked up at them. “We learned how to play Crick Queen’s Call, and I almost beat Jester at it- we didn’t finish the game,”

Bryce let out a low whistle, and Nott jostled slightly as the car turned, leaning more to Caleb’s side. “That’s impressive,” They mused, a soft smile working onto their face. “Especially considering how well Jester cheats at cards,”

“I knew it! I knew she was cheating!”

Caleb chuckled, watching the way Nott’s eyes went wide, her eyebrows practically rising up to her hairline. Her voice was somewhere between smug and proud underneath all the excitement. 

“As if you were not cheating either,” Caleb mused, only for Nott to look back up at him, her excitement mellowing out and leaving only a coy half smile.

“She doesn’t have to know that,”

Bryce smiled as they pulled up to the house, parking. As they started to climb out of the vehicle, something nagged at Caleb’s mind, and he wondered if he should speak up. It wasn’t too much of a concern, and he knew it was just him being worried and ridiculous. It was something that possibly concerned Nott though, and that made it something that concerned him. 

“Excuse me, Bryce?” Caleb spoke, his voice coming out a level or two above a whisper. They hummed in acknowledgment, tilting their head to glance at him as they opened the door. “May I have a word with you in private?”

Something on Caleb’s face must have told them everything they needed to know, and they nodded, flashing Caleb a calm smile. “Of course, Caleb,” They murmured, and Caleb felt himself relax slightly as they went into the house.

It wasn’t anything much, just a simple two story house. Bryce’s room was downstairs, left of the kitchen and living room, while Nott and Caleb’s room was upstairs, along with a master bathroom. The interior was very homey, with dark wooden floors and pictures hung on the walls. The couch in the living room was a similar dark brown colored leather, with a plush blanket folded over the back of it. 

Nott set her backpack down at the base of the stairs, working on undoing her mask, setting it aside gently. Meanwhile, Caleb was a little more focused on following Bryce to their room, only being able to catch a glimpse of Nott raiding the refrigerator before he was in Bryce’s room, the door gently shutting behind him.

Bryce’s room had higher ceilings than the other ones, along with soft carpet. There was a dresser on the opposite wall, and attached to another wall was a master bathroom and a small closet. Bryce’s bed was big enough for two people, usually in case there were guests or younger children staying with them.

They sat down on the bed, looking up towards Caleb, giving him space and time. Caleb took a short breath, fidgeting with the fabric of his scarf, and then spoke.

”You know them, ja? Jester, Beau, and Fjord?” He asked, his voice coming out more stern and quiet. Bryce nodded, and Caleb continued. “Are they okay?”

Bryce gave a second in case Caleb was going to continue, and upon seeing that he wasn’t, they answered. “They are very nice people, Caleb. Beauregard included, if you can get passed her shell,” There was a slight pause, and Caleb guessed Bryce must’ve seen something in his expression, because they continued. “She’s kind of arrogant, but she’s lovely. Just give her time,”

”What do you know about them?” 

Bryce smiled, shaking their head. “I’m afraid it would be breaking regulation for me to tell you. It would also be a bit rude,” They replied, and Caleb nodded, a slight sinking weight in his stomach. Bryce sighed, and started talking again. “They are nice, Caleb. You have to trust me- you have to trust _them._ They are good people.”

Trust had always been an issue. It had been an issue with Nott, and it had been an issue with Bryce. It was an issue Caleb had with everyone, and even though he knew _he needed to get over it,_ he just couldn’t. 

“I’m not saying you have to trust them right away,” Bryce clarified, causing Caleb to focus back on them. “You should trust them, but whenever you’re comfortable. They’re good people, Caleb. They’re going to be good for you,”

Caleb took a small breath and nodded, his fingers stilling from where they had been methodically rubbing against the fabric of his scarf. Bryce smiled, their eyes showing nothing but gentle reassurance, and Caleb was so thankful for it.

”Was that all?”

Caleb nodded again, and Bryce stood up, smiling. 

“Thank you so much for talking with me, Caleb. If you want, you can go,”

The statement had alleviated a numb feeling in his legs Caleb hadn’t been aware he had, and he nodded, the feeling slowly returning to him. He stepped out of the room, finding Nott sat at the kitchen counter, her legs dangling above the floor from her seat on one of the barstools. He moved to sit next to her, and once he sat down, a sandwich was slid in front of him along with a soda.

He looked at Nott, watching as she ate, and for a moment he was just awestruck. He really didn’t deserve either of them- Nott and Bryce were so good to him. Upon noticing him staring, Nott smiled through a mouthful of food, saying something that was almost entirely muffled by the food in her mouth.

He smiled softly, picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. 

~*~

“Nott, Caleb!”

Caleb looked up at the noise echoing through the gym, scanning the crowd and trying to find who had called out to them. Sure enough, he found Jester walking up to them, a wide smile on her face. He also noticed a few people giving them strange looks, and Caleb swallowed in an attempt to ease his anxiety. 

That morning hadn’t exactly been the best so far.

Maddie- Caleb wanted to forget her name, he really did -had been pestering them about the fight for a while before Common Literature. She’d asked what they’d done to piss Beau off, and had tried to get more than something vague and monosyllabic from him. Eventually he managed to work up the courage and just ask her to leave, and she’d left them in a huff, insulted.

That conversation had told him something though; people knew about the fight, and rumors had started to spread.

Despite this, Jester was cheerful as she walked up to them, uncaring about the attention. Today she had chosen to wear a pair of short dark blue overalls, along with a flowery looking shirt. “Good morning guys!” She greeted, plopping down on Nott’s other side.

“Morning, Jester,” 

She smiled, and then went rifling through her backpack, the sound of several bottles and papers moving as she did so. After a second, she pulled out two paper lunch bags, Nott and Caleb’s names scribbled on them respectively. “Here you guys go,” She said, handing Nott hers and handing Caleb his. His eyebrows raised slightly as he looked at it, opening the package hesitantly, like it would blow up or vanish into thin air if he did something wrong.

“I didn’t know if you guys had any allergies or food preferences, so this one’s kind of boring. But there’s no gluten, no dairy, no peanuts, and it’s vegan, just to be safe.”

In the bag were a few tortillas with some kind of spread on them, along with a bag of snap peas and some fruit. There was also a water and some odd looking cookies, along with a larger muffin. 

Caleb looked up from the bag, his eyes somewhat wide, and Jester giggled. He swallowed, a little unsure of what to say. “Danke- Thank you, Jester,” He said, his voice a little breathless with shock. 

“Of course! You guys need to eat. We can’t have our friends withering away,” 

The word ‘friends’ caught him a little off guard, but he nodded. Right- he wanted to be friends with these people. These were good people- and if he couldn’t trust them, at the very least he could trust Bryce.

”Why aren’t you sitting with the others?” Nott asked, jerking her head towards the student athletes, an eyebrow cocked towards Jester. The girl cringed slightly, shaking her head.

”I only sat with them because I didn’t know anybody else. You guys are way more fun,” She admitted, her expression forming a small pout as she looked back towards them. Caleb first thought it could have been loneliness, but then the expression changed, Jester’s eyebrows furrowing. “They’re also kind of dicks. You guys are nice.”

Caleb didn’t press it.

When they changed, the watchful feeling had lessened a bit, and soon enough they were back to playing the game from yesterday. Nott had come out of the locker room laughing alongside Jester, and it made Caleb’s heart swell, a pleased smile working it’s way onto his face. 

“Is it okay if I play with you guys?” Jester asked once she got close, and Caleb nodded, watching the way Nott’s mouth stretched into a toothy grin that didn’t seem to offset Jester in the slightest. “Thanks!” She lifted a hand up to block her mouth off from view, then quickly added, “They’re super competitive and kind of rude. It’s annoying,”

Caleb could understand that.

When they’d started to play the game again, one of the girls from yesterday decided to speak up. “Didn’t you guys get into a fight yesterday?” She asked, glancing between Jester and Caleb. Caleb opened his mouth to give her a simple, bitter _‘yes’_ , but Jester beat him to it.

”Oh yeah, but don’t worry, we’re totally cool now,” She answered, waving her hand dismissively. “Why do you care though?”

That got the girl to stop, confused and perhaps a little flustered. “Rumors are spreading around the school,” She answered quietly, and Jester quirked a brow.

“So you want to keep spreading them?” She asked, and the girl choked on her words again. Caleb glanced between her and Jester, his fingers fidgeting at his side, drumming against his leg. “Let’s just play the game, and stop telling other people they’re dating or stuff like that- it’s gross.”

The girl gave a slow nod, and awkwardly, they continued the game. After a few minutes, it became fun again, and Caleb found that Jester was quite strong and competitive herself. She wasn’t a sore loser though, and seemed to enjoy it for the fun of it. 

Jester had successfully put Caleb in a decent mood by the time the bell rang, walking with them to the Forensics class. Caleb squeezed Nott’s hand and ruffled her hair, smiling down at her. “Have fun today,” He murmured, and Nott smiled, nodding.

”C’mon Nott!” Jester chimed, near skipping passes then and into the room. Caleb quirked a brow at Nott, his brain helpfully reminding him that Jester had said the pair had two classes together- meaning they shared the forensics class. “Let’s go solve a murder mystery! We can search for clues,”

Nott’s smile made him feel a little more at ease. 

“Coming!” 

He stood at the doorway for a moment, watching her enter the room and catch up with Jester, sitting down and beginning to take out her notebook. They were quite a pair.

~*~

When Caleb walked into his Introduction to Celestial course, Yasha was already there, writing something in her binder. Caleb sat down, beginning to get out his own binder, and by the time that was done, Yasha was looking towards him. He looked back at her, his eyebrow quirking slightly, prompting her to speak.

”Are you okay?” She asked softly, and it still amazed Caleb how gentle it was. It definitely made her easier to talk to. “You were sort of... sort of zoned out in theater yesterday, and you looked really pale,”

Now that was a little confusing- Yasha took theater? Considering how quiet she was, or even how dark she seemed, she hadn’t struck Caleb as a theater kid. 

“If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. I understand.”

Caleb shook his head, offering her a slight smile as an apology. “It-It is fine, sorry,” He replied, his voice sounding a little tired, more than he had intended. He sighed, one of his hands raking through his hair. “I uh, I got in a bit of a fight yesterday,”

Yasha hummed, shifting in her seat so that she could properly face him. Aside from the dark makeup and intimidating physique, she seemed pretty gentle- as if she thought one wrong move would make Caleb jump out of his skin.

“I didn’t take you for the fighting type,”

Caleb laughed dryly, shaking his head. “I am not, not at all,” He admitted. “I was- I was very nervous after it, but I am fine now. A little bruised, but fine,”

Yasha nodded in understanding, turning back to her seat. “That’s good,” She murmured, and the silence that followed didn’t feel forced or awkward. It was comfortable, and Caleb slowly got to work on the warm up, going back to the page he had started yesterday in his binder. She reminded him a little of Bryce- soft tone, slow movements -all things that made him feel just a little more safe.

“Thank you, Yasha,”

”Of course,”

~*~

Once lunch rolled around, Caleb followed Jester’s directions towards one of the lunch tables, only to find it empty. Confused, he set his things down, fidgeting with the fabric of his coat. He got a few weird looks from people, and in an attempt to seem more inconspicuous, he started pulling the food from the lunch bag Jester has made for him.

”Hey Caleb!”

Caleb looked up, letting out a soft sigh of relief as he spotted Fjord. Today he had decided to wear a white button up and a pair of dark brown pants. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and Caleb took a split second to appreciate the way the shirt hugged him around his shoulders and sides. The moment that second was up, he averted his eyes, figuring it was probably weird to just stare at him like that.

Fjord didn’t really help him on that front though, grinning that charming grin as he moved to sit across from Caleb. He was holding a lunch bag similar to Caleb’s own, his name written on the side in an elegant font. “I was kinda worried you would get lost,” Fjord admitted warm-heartedly, and Caleb shook his head.

”I never forget things. Though, I was beginning to worry you were not going to show up,” Caleb replied, and Fjord’s expression dropped slightly, his eyebrows furrowed into a mildly concerned look. Caleb had been a little worried this was some kind of weird prank; something to possibly embarrass him or torment him. He felt a little ridiculous about it now though.

“I wouldn’t do that to you guys,” Fjord assured, and Caleb nodded- it was nice to hear those words from him; it made him a little more relaxed, soothing the slight chill he had started to feel. Fjord started to pull some food from his lunch, pulling out a sandwich, two hard boiled eggs, some snap peas, and a large chocolate chip cookie that seemed to be in the vague shape of a dick. Caleb quirked an eyebrow at it, Fjord chuckling as he pulled it out, shaking his head. 

“What’s up nerds?” 

Caleb turned his head, wincing for a moment as he watched Beau approach. She was grinning smugly, walking towards them and plopping down a little bit away from Caleb, setting down her school lunch. 

“Hello Beau,” Fjord greeted, and Caleb began to assume this was just how she was. Right- he needed to get passed her shell. 

Caleb let Fjord and Beau talk for a while, picking at his food while they discussed things he wasn’t entirely aware of anyways. Jester and Nott joined a little bit later, with Nott holding a magnifying glass up to her eye, the other one scrunched shut. Caleb could hardly restrain his amused smile as she got closer, climbing into the space between him and Beau.

”What are you doing?” 

“Top secret detective work, Caleb,” Nott answered, looking back towards him, causing him to giggle softly. Her eye had been magnified by the glass, appearing to practically bulge out of her head. She smiled, turning to look at Beau’s lunch, inspecting it. 

“It’s _very_ serious work,” Jester agreed, nodding as she sat down next to Fjord, who seemed a little flustered about something. It was interesting, but Caleb didn’t question it aloud, deciding to save Fjord the embarrassment. He could wonder about why he was blushing and why he looked so nice doing it later.

”So, Ms. Detective, what conclusion have you found?” Beau asked sarcastically, and Caleb turned to see her leaning back away from the food, giving Nott more than enough room to inspect it.

”My conclusion is this is fucking disgusting,”

That pulled a snort from Jester, the noise being followed by a flurry of giggles, Nott proudly looking back towards her. Beau gave a slow clap, and Caleb reached out and ruffled Nott’s hair, causing her to smile back at him. 

“You have amazing deductive skills, Nott, but maybe you should eat?” He suggested, and Nott nodded excitedly, rummaging through her bag and pulling out the bagged lunch Jester had made her. 

“Hey Caleb, I was meaning to ask you somethin’,” Fjord stated, causing Caleb to hum and look his way, gaining his attention. His blush had calmed down, and Caleb wondered if he’d just been imagining things. “That magic stuff you do- what else can you do?”

Thank the gods Nott was eating, otherwise she would have been the one to answer. Instead, Caleb thought on it. "There is a trick Nott and I can do,” He answered, glancing at Nott. She nodded, her mouth full of food and an excited look in her eyes.After seeing her agree, Caleb extended a palm, murmuring something softly as his other hand swirled around his open palm once, twice, three times. Each motion was followed by a small ‘ _fwoomph_ ’ noise and a light appearing from thin air, until three of them were floating in the air.

Nott had taken this time to scramble so that she was standing on her seat, her arms outstretched to the sky. With a flick of Caleb’s wrist, the lights enveloped her, making her a glowing beacon of a girl. Caleb took a second to admire her, then turned to look at the rest of the group, gesturing towards her. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the gob-light,”

Fjord’s mouth was slightly open in a small smile, Jester looking up towards Nott with a wide grin, her hands clapping together feverishly. Nott took a bow, and as she climbed back into her seat, the lights flickered and left. 

“That’s really impressive, Cay’,” Fjord complimented, and Caleb’s ears went slightly pink. _He had a nickname now?_ “Have you thought about trying for Soltryce?”

Just as quickly as the warm feeling arrived, it left, leaving Caleb colder than he had been in a while. His stomach twisted painfully, and he laughed dryly, shaking his head. Instinctively, he straightened his posture, letting his expression fall back into cold nonchalance. If they couldn’t read him, they wouldn’t know he could hardly hear anything over his own heartbeat.

“No, I-I do not think so,” He answered, and Fjord switched back to that confused and concerned expression that nearly pained Caleb. 

“Why not? You’re real talented,”

”Caleb could if he wanted to,” Nott stated, and gods, it wasn’t helping. She seemed a little defensive, perhaps sensing Caleb’s tension. She was very good at doing that. 

“It just- it is not for me,” He answered, and he hated the way his voice sounded- nonchalant and cool. Blank, hard to read. Not reached from underneath the table, taking his hand and running her thumb along the back of his hand, trying to ground him. He squeezed her hand back, letting his breath slowly calm down. 

Fjord seemed to sense the tension, nodding and letting it be.

”Well I’ve never seen more people in  desperate need of a good time,”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad you guys like this fic, but it would be really awesome if it could be shared.
> 
> Also, I took a lot of inspiration from a work called Five Soda Maximum, and it’s actually what started my idea of a highschool AU. So please go check it out!

Caleb turned around, slightly jarred by the loud sound, only to spot a lavender tiefling fast approaching. His eyes were red, his horns decorated with all sorts of glittering baubles and jewelry. He was wearing a black rock band shirt, with maroon jeans on. On the side of his neck and crawling up his face was a peacock feather pattern; a tattoo that disappeared under the collar of his shirt. Caleb had barely any time to wonder if it was even legal for a minor to get a tattoo like that, as the tiefling approached quicker than he expected, practically looming over their table.

He smirked towards the group, flashing them a deck of cards- not playing cards per se, but cards. Behind him stood a sheepish looking Yasha, her eyes focused on Caleb. She offered him a small smile, 

”Hallo Caleb,” She said, and her voice calmed him a little- it distracted him from the chaotic mess that was the man next to her. 

“Hallo,”

“Hello Yasha!”

That earned Caleb’s attention, and he glanced back at the rest of the group curiously. Jester’s eyes had widened and her mouth was agape in a wide smile, her hands balled into fists and raised at her chest, as if to prevent her from bursting at the seams. She wasn’t practically vibrating. Fjord was glancing between Caleb and Yasha curiously, giving them both a prompting look. Beau, meanwhile, was avoiding eye contact, her face somewhat more red than it was before. 

“You all seem like an excitable bunch,” The tiefling mused, leaning with one hand down on their table. He looked between them, his eyes landing on Jester, his hand showing her the cards again. They seemed to be tarot cards, something Caleb vaguely knew. “Would you care to have your fortune read?”

Jester nodded quickly, a bright smile on her face. “Yes please,” She answered, and the tiefling sat down next to her, shuffling the cards. Caleb watched the movements carefully, quickly casting Detect Magic, only to come up short. “Can you ask the cards if I’m going to find him?”

”Him?” The tiefling asked curiously, and Jester nodded. Caleb felt a little bad- if she believed in this, and his prediction didn’t come true, she would probably be disappointed. Caleb leaned towards Nott, murmuring under his breath.

”He is bullshitting her,”

Nott simply gave a small nod, still entranced by the movement of the cards. A car with an eye on it was shown, and the tiefling had the nerve to seem surprised. “You’ve already found the clue you’re looking for, you just don’t know what it is yet,” He explained, that set Caleb a little at ease. If it was vague and indirect, the odds were it wouldn’t be too bad.

”Oh man- does it say how long ago I found it?” She asked, only for the man to shake his head, regathering his cards and tucking them away. 

“That’s a more complicated reading, unfortunately,” 

“Aw man,” Jester pouted. “That’s going to be bugging me all day now,”

The tiefling smiled, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a flier of some kind. “Well, for a more complicated reading, be sure to visit the Moondrop festival this Saturday at the Trostenwald park,” He instructed, setting the flier down on the table for all of them to read. “Look for my tent- I’m Mollymauk by the way, but my friends call me Molly,” 

“I’m Jester,” Jester introduced, shaking the man’s hand. Upon closer inspection, he had a snake tattoo winding down his arm and ending on the back of his hand. “And we’re friends-?”

“Well, we are now. It’s been a pleasure, Jester. I hope to see you all there,” He said, and then he stood and turned, leaving to go talk to other tables. Yasha gave them all one last smile, and then followed along. The duo approached another table, Molly starting up on his monologue again.

Caleb jumped as a hand forcefully grabbed his shoulder, squeezing a little too tight and shaking him. He turned quickly, instinctively going blank, only to find Beau roughly shaking him. She stopped briefly, looking at her hand and pulling it away.  “How do you know Yasha?” She asked almost frantically, and it came out almost like a threat.

”She is in my Introduction to Celestial class,” He answered, his brain working quickly to assess the information he’d been presented with. “How do _you_ all know her?”

”She was in our gym class in eighth grade,” Jester answered happily, only to receive a death glare from Beau, which she happily ignored. “She helped Beau realize she was a _huge_ lesbian,”

Caleb turned to Beau for any confirmation, only to find her face had gone even more red. Upon seeing Caleb looking at her, she glared at him. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s weird,” She muttered, and Caleb raised a hand up defensively.

”I am not one to judge in that regard, Beau,” He assured. If she was this flustered, there was the chance she still liked her, which was kind of cute. But, there was the chance that it was because Beau was embarrassed. He decided to stop talking and just let Beau admit to her feelings. Beau seemed to recognize this, assessing what he’d done, and then groaned loudly.

She sighed, leaning into her palm and tugging sharply on her hair, pulling a few strands out from her ponytail. “The last time I talked to her, I was flirting in eighth grade. _Nothing_ goes well in eighth grade,” She answered, her voice just above a mutter. “Then she stopped hanging out with us, probably because I decided to act like a little creep,”

”Have you tried talking to her again?” Nott suggested, only for Beau to shake her head. 

“I didn’t even know if she went to this school. I thought she changed districts or something,” Beau muttered. Caleb wondered for a second if he had broken through Beau’s shell like Bryce had said. Beau was opening up, so maybe-?

”What If Caleb and I try talking to her?” Nott offered. “She’s in our drama class I think, so we could definitely talk to her then,”

Beau squinted down at Nott, then looked to Caleb with the same expression. Eventually she sighed, hanging her head. “I’m not going to stop you. Just don’t do anything too embarrassing or nerdy,” Caleb’s eyebrows rose, only for Beau to look back at him. “Specifically you, Widogast. Seriously- _Introduction to Celestial?”_

”I already know Celestial, Beau. I am taking it for my language credit,”

”Nothing you just said is helping your case,”

Caleb shrugged, and when he went to look back at Nott, she was missing. He looked around, finding her about five feet away, picking different wildflowers. He quirked a brow at her, their group looking towards her as well, watching as she gathered about two handfuls of flowers. She walked back to the table with them, sorting through her selection. 

“What’s with the flowers?” Beau asked, her voice bordering agitation if not for the exasperation and curiosity that invaded her tone, making the question sound more tired than anything. Nott looked up at her, her expression blank for just a moment before it shifted to a meek smile.

”All girls like flowers, right?” She answered, a delighted _‘Aww!’_ coming from Jester. Caleb smiled, watching Nott’s fingers deftly work out any flowers that weren’t up to standard, tossing them onto the floor. Meanwhile, Beau groaned, hanging her head.

”I regret every decision I have ever made.”

~*~

By the time the lunch bell rang, Nott had two nice looking fistfuls of flowers, each bundle held together with glittery pink ribbons Jester had given to them. The only problem was that their next class was Chemistry and not Drama, so they would have to hold on to the small bouquets for a while. 

Since Caleb hadn’t really been mentally present the day before, he took the time now to look around the room. There were metals desks set up in the middle, with lab tables lining either side of them. There was a shower in the back, along with a closed cabinet and a shelving rack full of deferent tools. 

Nott guided him towards one of the lab tables, explaining, “Since they didn’t have any spare desks, we have to sit at a lab table, which is fine by me,”

Caleb nodded, sitting down on the outer side of the table. He watched as people slowly poured into the room, hardly noticing as Nott started creeping towards a desk. Without any cover, she had to be small and fast, skittering towards one of the student’s desks. He didn’t really notice her until the last second, watching her skitter back to the lab table, her blush visible from under her mask.

Caleb quirked a brow as she scrambled back onto the barstool, offering her his hand so that she could climb back in easier. She was cursing under her breath, panting softly once she finally got properly seated. “Are you alright?” He murmured, and he watched as Nott looked up at him, only to briefly break eye contact in order to look passed him. 

When he turned to look at whatever she had glanced at, Nott laughed forcefully, gaining his attention again. “It’s fine Caleb, really, it is,” She assured, her voice attempting to be quiet despite its shrill nature, almost sounding panicked. He reached down and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“Are you sure?”

She paused, then squeezed his hand back, sighing. “Yes, Caleb, I am,” She answered softly. It didn’t sound entirely genuine, but he nodded, deciding not to press it. 

Still, unable to help his curiosity, he looked back towards the desk Nott had been at. He watched for a second as a halfling boy approached, seemingly a little tired. He had sideburns that were starting to grow in, his hair a curly brown mess. As he got closer, his eyebrows furrowed, his hand reaching out and gingerly lifting up a small bouquet- one of the ones Nott had made. 

Caleb glanced back at her, a little more confused than before, only to find her entirely focused on copying down the warm up. Her blush traveled to her ears as Caleb looked at her, and he decided to just keep that to himself, moving to pull out his binder instead. 

If Nott didn’t want to talk about it, that was fine. It was better to let her come to him with her issues.

He couldn’t help but notice the halfling student looking around, expression somewhere between flustered and doubtful. He was holding the bouquet close to his face, just under his chin. Upon seeing nobody staring, the halfling sighed, setting the bouquet on the corner of his desk as he got out his supplies.

A few minutes later when the teacher walked in, it was announced to them that they would be doing a lab that day.

“Nott, Caleb, you two will be paired with Yeza and Callie. Yeza, Callie, raise your hands,” The teacher instructed, and Caleb watched as the halfling boy and a girl with long black hair raised their hands, looking back at them.  The halfling boy looked Nott over, Nott scooting a little closer to Caleb. He looked down at her, seeing how her blush had lessened, and her eyes had gone wide with what Caleb figured was fear.

The class was dismissed to the lab tables, Yeza coming over and sitting across from Caleb, nervously glancing between him and Nott. Callie seemed a little more energetic, stumbling over a backpack on her way to the table, apologizing quickly before sitting across from Nott. She smiled at Caleb, extending a hand across. “Hello, my name’s Calliana, but I also go by Callie,” She greeted.

She was wearing a long sleeved white blouse and a long, high waisted black skirt. Her hair covered one of her eyes, the other one being a forest green. 

Caleb offered a small smile back, shaking her hand. “I am Caleb, and this is Nott,” He introduced, looking back towards Nott. She awkwardly raised her hand in wave, glancing between Callie and Yeza. Caleb squeezed her hand in reassurance, and she took a breath, attempting to calm down. 

“Ah- uh, hello,”

Callie gave her nothing but smiles, leaning over the lab table. “I love your mask, Ms. Nott. It’s very cute,” She complimented, her voice a quiet whisper. 

“Well, I like your ribbons. They’re also really cute,” Nott replied somewhat awkwardly, Callie leaning back into her stool. Her hand went up to touch the ribbon, a heartfelt smile on her face. 

“Thank you!”

”I’m sorry,” Yeza said, his voice soft and somewhat raspy, warning Caleb’s attention. He was wearing a sweater over a white button up, the sleeves cuffed over the red wool. A pair of square glasses were set on his nose, and he looked a little concerned as he glanced between everyone in the group. Caleb hummed, seeing how he brought the bouquet with him, the little bundle of flowers set on the edge of the lab table. “Is... Are- Are you a goblin?”

Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed, and he watched as Nott meekly nodded- Nott was never meek. He squeezed Nott’s hand again, restraining a glare as he looked at Yeza, hopefully keeping his expression nonchalant. “Is there anything wrong with that?” Caleb asked, unable to help the threatening undertone. Yeza looked back up at him, and he seemed to try and read Caleb’s expression, coming up short. 

“No- of course not, I was just, ah, curious,” Yeza answered, shrinking back a little. Nott squeezed his hand, Caleb redirecting his attention to her. 

“It’s alright, I understand,” She assured him, though she did seem a little disappointed. “It’s- it’s a lot of teeth and claws?” She laughed softly, wrenching an awkward laugh from Yeza. 

“Uh, yeah, sorry,” He apologized, only for Nott to shake her head. 

“You don’t have to be.”

Once everyone form situated, the teacher gave them the instructions for the experiment, assigning them each roles. Callie had gotten up to go get them aprons and goggles, Caleb getting out a sheet of paper for the lab report. Meanwhile, Nott was working on actually setting up the lab. She seemed pretty good at it, setting it up fairly quickly.

When Callie returned with the aprons and goggles, Caleb put his on, then moved to help Nott with hers. It hung passed her knees, her mask needing to be set aside in order to get the goggles on. She had a blank expression on her face, and Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed with concern- only for her to flash him an appreciative smile.

Yeza had set himself up, smiling towards the group, his meek demeanor beginning to disappear. “Alright, let’s get to work,” He instructed, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

The experiment itself was interesting, as Nott and Yeza found themselves working well together. They’d heated up the solutions they needed for the experiment, turning the Bunsen burner up and down to complete it most efficiently. Callie seemed to have fun just watching them, Yeza and Nott slowly becoming more comfortable, working together easily. 

The experiment was complete roughly ten minutes from the end of the class, Caleb turning in the sheet they’d made, Callie putting away the aprons and goggles. Yeza and Nott seemed a little more comfortable around each other, Nott’s faint blush having returned. 

“It was nice meeting you two,” He said, a charming half grin on his face. Nott nodded, grinning her toothy little smile, but something in her face looked pained.

“You too,”

~*~

 When Nott and Caleb reached their drama class, Molly spotted them, flashing them a wide grin. He was sat on one of the desks with one of his legs propped up, his arm draping across the knee. Yasha was stood next to him, her arms crossed, and she flashed them both a small smile. Caleb returned it, then looked down at Nott.

Her blushing had calmed down during the time it took to get to class, and now she just seemed jittery. Caleb quirked a brow at her, and she looked up at him, smiling nervously before stepping forwards. 

“Molly, right?” She asked, grinning up at the purple tiefling. The man gave her a smile, nodding.

”You recognized me?” He asked, amused, and that made Nott’s face scrunch up slightly underneath her mask. 

“It would be kind of hard not to,”

Molly laughed at that, grinning between Nott and Caleb. Taking that as a sign to introduce himself, he took a step forwards, raising a hand. “I am Caleb, and this is Nott,” He introduced. “I am also in Yasha’s Introduction to Celestial class,” 

Molly’s face lit up in recognition, and he turned to Yasha, grinning a little wickedly. “Oh- Yasha, this is your nerd friend, right?” He asked, and Caleb felt a little exasperated at that. Molly glanced back at him though, raising up a hand. “Don’t worry, there’s no judgement in theater class. Not on anything but your performance- that’s graded.”

Caleb glanced towards Yasha, only to find her with an exasperated yet endearing grin on her face as she watched them talk. Nott took a step towards Yasha, rifling through her backpack for a moment, pulling out the mostly undamaged bouquet. She cleared her throat, holding it up to Yasha, her arms barely reaching passed Yasha’s chest. 

“I um- I got these for you,” She started, her voice somewhat awkward as she held them up. Yasha reached down slowly, picking the bouquet from Nott’s hands, her eyes slightly wide at the gesture. She smiled fondly at them, holding them up to just underneath her chin.

”Oh, these are lovely,” She complimented, and Nott relaxed a little at that. “Why are you giving me flowers though?”

”Every girl likes flowers,” Nott answered, being met with a soft smile from Yasha.

Yasha took the flowers and walked closer to Molly, setting down the small bouquet and pulling something from her backpack. It was a decent sized book, having a thick spine and yellow stained pages that gained Caleb’s attention almost instantly. She thumbed through the pages, flipping them open, and Caleb could see flowers pressed onto the pages. 

One by one, she plucked a flower from the bouquet, setting it in the book and turning a new page, adding the small wildflowers the book. When she turned back to face them, she handed the ribbon back to Nott, smiling down at her.

”Thank you, Nott. They’re beautiful,”

”You collect flowers?” 

The group turned to face Caleb after he spoke, Yasha nodding and setting the book to the side. “I am also a- a bit of a nerd,” She explained, and Caleb couldn’t help his grin, giving her an understanding nod. Maybe being a nerd wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

”Hey, we were kind of wondering,” Nott started, the group directing their attention back to her. “We were wondering if you would sit at lunch with us? I mean- with Jester, Fjord, Beau, Caleb and I,”

Yasha and Molly looked at each other for a second, swapping curious expressions. There’s a pause, and Caleb felt the need to speak up instead of just standing there awkwardly. 

“If you do not want to, that is fine as well,” 

His statement only made the pause stretch on longer, but then Yasha flashed Molly a grin, and he nodded. “Sure. You all seemed interesting,” He answered, and Yasha nodded, looking back at him.

”They really are. You will like them,” 

“Then I guess it’s settled,”

~*~

The next afternoon, Caleb was about halfway through his lunch when Yasha and Molly walked to their table. Jester had packed Nott and him lunches again, something she insisted on doing. 

“It’s no big deal you guys,” She’d insisted as she handed them the lunches back in gym class. “I make lunch for everybody- or, I would for Beau, but she insists on eating cafeteria food.”

Now, the tiefling girl was sat across from Nott, working on another intense game of Crick Queen’s Call, when she looked up and grinned. “Hello Yasha! Hello Molly!”

Beau glanced over her shoulder, and Caleb watched as her face went slightly red, and she turned to glare at him. He quirked a brow, and she sighed, turning to greet the two as they got closer. 

“Sup Yasha- hey Molls,” 

Yasha was the first to step forwards, smiling kindly at the group. She sat down next to Jester and across from Beau, which didn’t seem to help Beau at all. Yasha seemed to take notice though, offering Beau a gentle smile, attempting to look her in the eyes. “Hello Beau,” She said, her voice taking on that patient and gentle tone.

Beau seemed to calm a little with it, looking up and letting out a choked, “Hi,”

Yasha smiled, glancing over as Jester continued to play, sneaking another card into her hand. Her eyebrow quirked, Jester giggling mischievously at her seemingly successful move. 

“Jester, are you cheating?”

Jester froze, staring at Yasha with an aghast expression, almost like a guilty child being caught in the act. She shushed Yasha loudly, only for Yasha to hunch back, offering an apologetic look. “Yasha, she isn’t supposed to know-“ Jester started, and Yasha smiled, a fond look on her face as Jester whined. 

“To be fair, I’ve been cheating this whole time,” Nott admitted, and if it was possible for Jester to look any more shocked, she did it. 

“I knew it! There was no way you had three sixes-“

Caleb smiled, watching as Beau relaxed, the human girl watching as Jester and Nott laughed and argued over the game. She seemed a little more relaxed and a little less flustered, whatever resentment she had towards Caleb undetectable. 

She had glanced towards Yasha, leaning across the table just slightly, murmuring something that made Yasha smile at her. Caleb couldn’t quite pick it up, but it seemed things had become less awkward between them, and then Beau was leaned back in a somewhat proper seating position. 

“Are we playing Cheating Crick Queen’s Call?” 

Molly was now leaned over the side of the table, a smirk tracing his lips as he glanced between Jester and Nott, breaking the argument. “What’s that?” Nott asked, curious and amused as she cocked her head up towards the lavender tiefling.

”Only the best game for a group of cheaters like us,” Molly answered, scooting next to Caleb, thankfully giving him enough personal space. “The only goal is to win before anyone else does, and do it without getting caught. You can try to catch other people, and if you do, they have to stop playing,”

Jester seemed to like the idea, a grin spreading across her face. “Well, I guess we’re playing it now,” Jester said, her tail swooshing behind her excitedly. Molly smiled at that, resting his chin against his palm. 

“Deal me in then,”

As the cards were dealt, Caleb prepared to watch this chaotic mess, watching as each player looked around with shifty eyes. Nott was rather good at quickly swiping more cards, a proud smirk on her face whenever she did. Jester always giggled when she managed to swipe a card, earning the attention of the other two players.

“Hey Molly,” Fjord started, only receiving a hum from the man in question. “What time does that festival start tomorrow?”

”Eleven a.m, but it’s best to get there an hour or two after noon, that way everything is set up and the place is busy.” 

Fjord nodded at that, looking around the group passed the intense card game. The awkward tension that had existed between Beau and Yasha seemed to be entirely gone, Beau watching Jester play and Yasha watching Molly. Caleb seemed to be the only one paying attention.

”Do you guys want to go?”

Jester folded, earning a groan from Molly and an elated laugh from Nott, who showed another hand of full sixes, much to both their amusements. She then turned to Fjord, an excited look on her face. 

“That sounds like a lot of fun! Beau?” Jester asked, turning to face the girl. Beau had yet to stop looking at Jester, having worn a proud smile upon seeing her fold- a smile she still wore now. Caleb didn’t comment on the way Jester’s tail flicked before picking up speed, or the way her grin widened upon seeing her.

”I’m in,”

”Sweet!” Jester chimed, then turning to face Nott and Caleb, which came as a little bit of a relief. It meant they were included- it meant they were friends. “Do you guys want to go?”

Nott grinned, taking a second to glance up at Caleb, who was also sporting a small smile. When she recognized that- her expression turning awestruck for just a moment, she nodded rapidly. 

“Of course!”

”Then tomorrow it is,” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one’s kind of longer, but I couldn’t think of a way to really break it down. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter too.

Before the festival, Caleb put effort into taking a nice long shower, shaving away his patchy stubble and scrubbing away the sweat and grime. It did admittedly feel nice to be clean, considering he hadn’t been fully clean in what seemed like forever. He wanted to be for the festival, though. It felt like a special occasion.

When he stepped out of the shower, one of the first things he made sure to do was apply new bandages to his arms, winding the bandaging from a little under his shoulder all the way to his wrist, stretching the arm to see if he could move it properly. Once that was done, he went back to his and Nott’s room, finding the girl sitting on the bed. 

She had her mask hanging from her neck like a bulky necklace, and was wearing a black tank top. Tied around her waist was a yellow flannel, worn with ripped black jeans and a pair of yellow high tops. Caleb took a second to just look at her, a fond grin on his face. 

Bryce had let them get clothes that they liked before he had taken them in, considering neither of them had much of anything. This was one of the outfits Nott only wore when she was comfortable, and even with the bandages covering up the green skin of her arms, he loved seeing her like this. Safe and happy.

She looked up from the book she’d been reading, a grin stretching across her face as she saw him. “Caleb! You shaved?” She asked excitedly, seemingly a little shocked with it. He nodded, a small smile on his face as he ran a hand over his chin and jaw. Nott’s expression settled into something almost proud and endearing, and she spoke with the same sort of tone. “Well, you look amazing. Once you- once you get dressed, can I brush your hair?”

Caleb thought about that, and gods, that did sound amazing. He nodded after a moment, watching as Nott’s grin stretched a little higher, and that made him feel so good. It was hard finding people he could be happy with, and it made him feel nice knowing that she wasn’t happy to be around him. It was reassuring.

Caleb got dressed in a clean white button up, then pulling on a beige cardigan over it, cuffing his sleeves over the fabric. He matched the outfit with a pair of brown slacks, and when he was done, he walked over to the foot of their bed. He sat down on the floor, Nott grinning as she scooted closer to the edge.

Instead of using a brush, she ran her fingers through his hair, quickly working out any snags and untangling his hair. “It’s really soft,” She mused, combing her fingers through in a way that made Caleb sigh. “Did you use the conditioner?” 

Caleb nodded, causing her fingers to tug on his hair a little. “Sorry-“ He went, but Nott shook her head. 

“Don’t be, I shouldn’t have distracted you,” Caleb wanted to argue, but at the same time, he didn’t want to ruin the moment. So, instead of nodding, he hummed, keeping still as Nott worked her hands through. About a minute later, he snapped his fingers, Frumpkin appearing with a small _fwoomph_ sound. The cat crawled into his lap, and Caleb kept himself busy petting him.

He hardly noticed when she started braiding his hair, doing one braid on each side of his face, pulling them around to the back of his head. “Do you have a ribbon, or a hair tie?”

”I think I have one from Jester, on the dresser,”

Nott hummed, holding on to the ends of the braid as she leaned over, coming back with a shimmering blue ribbon. Frumpkin seemed interested in it for a second, climbing up Caleb’s chest and attempting to swat at it, pulling a stern “No, stop that,” from Nott. She smiled, tying it around the ends of the braids, and pulled back with a proud smile. “All done!”

Caleb smiled, setting Frumpkin aside and standing up, approaching the mirror attached to their door. His hair was combed back a little neater, with just enough loose strands to not look formal. The braids ran from either side of his face, and when he turned, he could see that the ribbon had been tied into a bow. 

“Your hair smells like lavender,” Nott commented, and Caleb moved so that he could see her in the mirror. She had her hands near her nose, a small smile on her face. It was sort of amusing.

”It was the scent of the conditioner,”

”It’s nice,”

“You know,” Caleb started, turning around to face her. “I could try to brush your hair. I could always wash it too,” He offered, and Nott cringed a little at the mention of washing. “Only if you would like me to,” He quickly added. She seemed to mull it over, then nodded, scooting over on the bed. 

Caleb smiled as he walked over, sitting next to her. He had Frumpkin jump on the bed, nuzzling against Nott’s chest and distracting her. She smiled, cooing at the cat as she pet him, Caleb looking over her shoulder and instructing him to stick his tongue out. He did, and Nott snickered, scratching Frumpkin behind the ears. 

_Good cat._

As Caleb began to run his hands through Nott’s hair, he frowned, seeing how tangled and greasy it was. A few snags pulled harshly, though Nott didn’t seem to mind too much. Her hair was much longer than his too, so it took a bit longer. It wasn’t until Caleb was working out an almost impossible knot that he spoke again. 

“I know you do not want me to wash your hair, but maybe Bryce has some dry conditioner that I can spray in your hair,” He suggested, Nott turning her head to look back at him, her hands still running through Frumpkin’s fur. “It would make your hair less oily, and make it more soft. But it would not get wet,”

”That sounds good,” She answered, and Caleb stood up from the bed, rubbing his hands on the bed sheets. 

“I will be back soon,”

Nott nodded, and then Caleb was out the door, walking down the stairs. “Excuse me, Bryce?” Caleb called, hearing a hum from inside the living room. As he got closer, he could hear Bryce mutter something under their breath from where they sat on the couch- something about politics, probably. Upon hearing Caleb approach though, they tilted their head up to look at him.

The wide eyed smile he got was something new, and it was almost immediately followed by Bryce saying, “You look nice, Caleb. Are you going to be wearing your coat and scarf too?”

Caleb nodded- it felt like a little too much to leave them at home. Bryce nodded in understanding, continuing, “Don’t overheat then. If you can, take them in a backpack and put them on when it gets cooler,”

Caleb nodded again- that made sense, and it was better than being sweaty all day. Besides, he would still have them with him, and that was a comfort on its own. “Your hair looks nice too- who braided it?”

Caleb smiled, his hand moving so that he could run his fingers along one of the braids. “Nott did. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you have any dry conditioner?” Caleb replied, Bryce setting aside their phone and standing up, nodding.

”I probably do. Come on,”

Caleb followed Bryce back to their room, then to the master bathroom attached to the side. Bryce had a lot of bath products, all for a variety of reasons. Some people had different hair types, some had allergies, and Bryce just liked to have a range of feminine scented and masculine scented products. They rooted around a cupboard for a moment, pulling out a yellow ribbon and a bottle, handing them both to him. 

“Thanks Bryce,” 

“Of course. We’re leaving in twenty minutes by the way, that way I can pick everyone up,”

Caleb nodded, taking the product and the ribbon, climbing back up the stairs and back to their room. When he returned, he found Frumpkin licking Nott’s nose, the girl giggling and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Caleb smiled, quietly shutting the door behind him, Nott looking up. 

“Oh- you got a ribbon,”

”Bryce gave it to me. I also got the conditioner,” Caleb replied, holding up the bottle as he walked back over to the bed. He sat back behind Nott, making sure Frumpkin didn’t steal the ribbon. He sprayed it in Nott’s hair, the girl taking a second to sniff the air as Caleb began combing through her hair again. 

“Is it- It’s cucumber scented?”

Caleb quirked a brow, looking back at the bottle. “You are not wrong, it is,” He affirmed, Nott nodding back. Caleb smiled, continuing to work his hands through her hair, undoing the knots a little easier. It still took a while, Caleb stopping every now and then to spray in more conditioner, but after a while her hair was silky and soft.

He gathered it in his hand, pulling it into a high ponytail, tying the ribbon tightly around her hair. He scooted back to look at his work, and Nott sat up, Frumpkin hopping off the bed as she walked to the mirror. From the bed, Caleb watched as her eyes lit up, watched as she turned to see the ponytail. It made his heart damn near melt, Frumpkin rubbing up against her leg.

”So- we’re ready to go?” Nott asked, spinning to look at Caleb. He stood again, wiping the product off his hands, and nodded. 

“I am sure Bryce would not mind if we were five minutes early,” Caleb answered, and Nott grinned excitedly, opening the door and rushing out. 

“I call shot gun!”

Caleb stood in the room for a moment, smiling as he got a backpack together, placing his coat and scarf in it. He followed her down the stairs a moment later, seeing Bryce at the bottom, staring at them both with a proud smile on their face. 

“You both look amazing. You kids ready to have fun? Do you remember my number?”

Nott nodded, almost bouncing excitedly. Bryce smiled, looking down and ruffling her hair, only for her to gently smack his hand away in protest. 

“Don’t mess up my hair, it took Caleb forever to do,” She requested, and Bryce smiled, standing up straight. 

They walked to the car, Nott scrambling into the passenger seat, Caleb sitting behind her in the back. The second the car turned on, Nott changed the station, turning up the classic rock music. Bryce chuckled, buckling up and pulling out of the driveway.

It took a little bit to actually get to where Jester and Fjord lived, and once they got there, Caleb’s eyes widened. The house looked to be a simple one story, but it was also on a lake, the water shining from the backyard. He could hear a dog barking, and then Jester opened the door, waving at the car and holding on to the collar of a rather large looking dog. 

She was wearing a pink, ruffled off the shoulder top, along with a pair of light blue high waisted shorts. If he squinted, Caleb could just make out the pink flower print on the socks she was wearing. Coming out from behind her was Fjord, and Caleb suddenly became a bit more thankful that he had cleaned up.

Fjord was wearing a red and green bomber jacket over a white tank top, along with a pair of blue jeans and red sneakers. He looked excited, petting the dog’s head before stepping passed Jester and heading to the car. Caleb fidgeted with the end of his shirt, keeping his eyes on the door of the house while Fjord hopped in the car. 

“Caleb?”

Caleb prayed to whatever gods existed that his expression was calm and relaxed, and he turned to look back at Fjord, catching the somewhat awestruck look on his face. And damn it, that didn’t help _at all._ So, in an attempt at remaining calm, he raised his hand in a small wave. 

“Sit down already!” Nott yelled from the front seat, startling Fjord out from his trance. The half orc nodded, hopping into the car, moving to sit next to Caleb in order to leave room for Jester. The next person to hop in the car was Beau though- Caleb must not have seen her come out from the house. 

He didn’t have time to see what she was wearing though, as instead of sitting in the spot Fjord had left open, she put her hand on Fjord’s shoulder and scrambled her way into the far back seat, shoving him up against Caleb. The movement successfully ruined any attempts Caleb had made at hiding his blush- he could feel the warmth in his ears, and instead just decided not to make eye contact. 

Finally, Jester came back outside with a picnic basket, setting it in the back seat with Beau before sitting down and buckling up. When she turned to face the others, her eyes stopped on Nott, and she let out a high pitched gasp. 

“Nott! You look amazing!” She practically squealed, and Nott grinned sheepishly, smiling back at her. Jester then turned to get a look at Caleb, having a very similar reaction. “And Caleb- you shaved? You have braids?”

Caleb nodded, offering her another meek grin, only to be met with another gasp again. 

“Holy shit! You have dimples- that’s adorable!”

”Okay kids, you all buckled up?” Bryce asked, turning to look at everyone. Anyone who hadn’t in quickly moved to do that, and then they were off again. Nott had turned the music back up a bit, Jester rambling about all the different things she had packed away in the picnic basket, including cookies, sandwiches, sodas, and a bunch of fruits.

Caleb, meanwhile, spent his time looking out the car window, attempting to calm the slight blush on his face. It certainly didn’t help knowing Fjord was staring at him- he could practically feel his gaze fixed on the side of his head. Eventually, Jester paused, looking out the windshield. 

“You guys, they have a Ferris Wheel!”

Caleb turned, letting out a small breath now that Fjord wasn’t looking at him, instead staring ahead. The top of a Ferris Wheel was poking over the tops of buildings, and as they got closer, Caleb could see several tents set up. There was a stage, some band playing on top, along with a few people roaming around and grabbing food. 

There were a few other rides, including a set of spinning teacups, a small rollercoaster, and a swing ride. There were also several games, all set up in the middle of an open field, Bryce stopping and finding a parking space. Excitedly, Nott and Jester left the car, with Caleb and Beau following after, Fjord taking a little longer.

They could hear the distant music from the stage, the cheers and giggles of children running around. 

“Remember, I’m picking you all up at seven,” Bryce told them, and Caleb looked back, nodding. They had stepped out of the car, smiling at the group fondly. “Be sure to have fun,”

”We will, Bryce,” Caleb assured, Jester speaking up.

”Guys- hurry up, I just found the best picnic spot-!” She instructed, and then her and Nott were off, Caleb unable to help his chuckle as both girls scrambled towards a rather large tree. It stretched up high and far, having a wide canopy. Beau was the next person to chase after them, Jester setting up a small picnic blanket.

”Guess we should follow before they eat everything,” Fjord mused, and Caleb nodded, the two of them beginning to walk forwards. Caleb had relaxed a little now that the staring had lessened, and Caleb supposed Fjord had just been shocked. He did kind of look like garbage before, so it was understandable. Disappointing for some reason, but it made the most sense to him. 

Caleb was pulled out of his thoughts when Fjord cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, Caleb?” He started, for once sounding a little flustered. When Caleb looked back at him, there was a faint trace of a blush, and Fjord was grinning at him almost sheepishly. “Sorry about before- you uh, you look amazing,”

Caleb’s eyes widened, his eyebrows raising slightly. Right- Jester had said he looked good. Bryce had too. There was no reason for him to get excited over this, no fuel for the tight, warm feeling in his chest. 

“It is alright,” Caleb replied, his voice coming out a little quieter than anticipated. He forced his voice to be slightly louder, moving his gaze towards the group. It didn’t help the nervous energy go away, if anything, it almost got worse. Caleb had to actually wait four seconds- yes, he’d taken to counting them -before he could speak. “You- You look nice as well,”

”Really?”

Fjord sounded positively amazed, and the sound made Caleb’s chest swell. He let himself get a quick glance back, finding Fjord’s eyebrows risen, his eyes wide and an awestruck grin on his face that quickly mellowed out into something unrightfully charming. “Thanks, Cay’,”

”Hey nerds! Are you two going to catch up or what?” 

Caleb turned his head back forwards, his face turning rather pink. Beau was hanging upside down from one of the lower branches of the tree, and she was looking directly at them. 

“We’re comin’!” Fjord called back, walking ahead of Caleb- Caleb waiting another two seconds before catching up.

Jester was busy pulling things out of the picnic basket and setting them on the blanket, meanwhile, Nott was near the grass, picking up more wildflowers. When Caleb sat down on the edge of the blanket, she walked over to sit on his left, setting down the flowers and beginning to sort through them. 

Beau walked over sometime during all this, sitting almost across from Caleb on the other side of the blanket. Fjord had moved to sit next to Caleb, thankfully leaving enough room for it to not feel like back in the car. When everything was out from the basket, Jester sat between Beau and Nott, picking at a few of the fruits.

Just as Caleb was about to grab one of the sandwiches Jester had pulled out from the basket, he felt something touch the braids on the side of his head. He almost turned to look at Nott, only for her to tell him, “Don’t move, just keep eating,”

Caleb paused for a second, but then he figured there was no use in questioning her. It was hardly anything bad anyways.

So, he continued to eat, finishing up the sandwich and then taking a soda. As he leaned forwards slightly to reach it, Jester gasped, and Caleb had to restrain himself from turning his head. Instead, he glanced out of his peripheral, finding the girl’s hand clamped over her mouth, her cheeks bunched up in a way Caleb recognized from Nott. 

“Caleb, _don’t move,”_ She instructed, her voice sounding a little more serious than Nott’s had. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a shimmering pink phone, aiming it at him and snapping a picture. That made him a little flustered, and now he wanted to see what Nott was actually doing. 

The goblin girl had walked around to his right, seemingly continuing the process, fidgeting with the braids. After a minute, she stepped back proudly, her hands on her hips. It caused Jester to giggle, and Caleb spoke up. “Can I move now?”

”Yep! Don’t touch it though,” Nott instructed, sitting back down on Caleb’s left. Sighing, he leaned back to a normal sitting position, opening the soda and taking a sip. While he drank, he glanced at Nott, only to find her pile of tiny flowers to be missing.

_Oh._

Another giggle brought his attention back to Jester, the girl smiling at her phone. “Jester, may I see?” He asked, and she seemed to think it over, so he added, “I would love to see the amazing work Nott did putting flowers in my hair. I bet they look beautiful,”

Seeing as he knew what Nott had done, Jester handed him her phone, allowing him to swipe across the two pictures. The first one was of him and Nott, the goblin girl’s tongue sticking out as she gingerly placed different blue and white wildflowers in his hair. The second one showed him once all the flowers had been put in, and it was shifted to also include Fjord and the tree in the background. They were both pretty nice shots.

”You are an excellent photographer,” He complimented, handing Jester back her phone. She grinned, closing the app and pocketing the device. He then turned to Nott, setting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently, stopping her in her goal to completely destroy her sandwich. She looked at him curiously, her cheeks bunched with food, and he smiled fondly at it. “And you- you are wonderful, Nott. They look amazing,”

Nott grinned through the mouthful of food, and Caleb’s hand squeezed again, before letting go to return to the food. The food was delicious, the cookies- though phallic shaped -were actually pretty damn good. The fruit was cold and sweet, and the sandwiches were gone pretty quickly. 

“What should we do first?” Beau asked, taking a sip of one of the sodas. She had one knee propped up, her hand draping across it and holding the soda. Her other arm was propped behind her, keeping her upright. 

“We should go find Molly and Yasha’s tent,” Jester suggested, a few crumbs hanging off the edge of her lip. She licked them away before continuing. “I really want to see one of the elaborate readings,”

That made Caleb pity her a little, and he wondered if she knew Molly was bullshitting her. He wondered if Molly knew the effect he had on her- how she seemed to wholeheartedly believe everything he said. 

“We don’t really know where his tent is,” Beau pointed out, offering Caleb some relief. “Why don’t we check out the venders while we look for him, and then when we find his tent, we can take him with us?”

Jester smiled at that, nodding. When everyone was done, Jester began packing everything back into the picnic basket. “Guys, where should we put this so nobody takes it?” She asked, looking around with a small pout. Right- Bryce had left them, and it would kind of suck to just carry it around.

”Don’t worry, I got it,” Beau replied, taking the basket from Jester and beginning to climb up the tree. She went pretty high up, leaving Jester to stare at her with a fond, awestruck smile. Caleb smiled softly at that, then looked back up at Beau, only to find her jumping back down, brushing her hands together. “There you go- someone’s gonna have to go through a lot of effort if they want to steal from us,”

With that done, they started to walk towards the tents, Jester, Nott, and Beau taking the lead. He smiled as Nott ran by, looking at beaded bracelets and other wares being sold. He also couldn’t help but notice Beau draping her arm across Jester’s shoulder, keeping her from running off too far. 

There ended up being quite a few tents, but Caleb didn’t mind just walking around. Then, they saw an interesting looking one. It was purple, with stars patterned on the outside. Standing outside was Yasha, tall and imposing, though her expression turned to a grin when she saw the others. 

She was wearing her usual attire- ripped jeans, black leather jacket, and white tank top. She smiled as Jester ran up, offering her a wave. “Oh, hallo,” She greeted. “I was wondering when you all would find us,”

”Hello Yasha! Is Molly in?” She asked excitedly, reaching for the tent flap in an attempt to see for herself. She was stopped short by Yasha though, the girl gently moving her hand away.

“He is, but he’s in the middle of a reading,” She answered. Jester pouted, and then Yasha scanned the group, her eyes landing first on Caleb. “Oh, Caleb, the flowers in your hair look lovely,” 

Caleb smiled softly, holding himself back from reaching up to touch them, as he didn’t want to disturb Nott’s work. Nott meanwhile was scrambling through her pockets, and pulling out a few more of the flowers. “Here you go Yasha! I saved some for you,” She chimed, and Yasha looked down, her face lighting up. She reached down and took them gently, as if they would fall apart in her grasp. 

“Thank you, Nott. I’ll be sure to add them to my collection,”

Just as Yasha set the flowers in her pocket, a man came out from the tent, saying something about a physician. A woman followed behind, a little exasperated, but nodding all the while. With them free, Yasha pulled back the curtain, revealing Mollymauk inside.

Beau was the first to snort out a laugh. “What the hell are you wearing?”

”What, don’t like it?” Molly replied, standing up with a smirk on his face, extending his arms. He was wearing a ridiculous looking coat, with patterns and embroidery running everywhere on the damn thing. Underneath it, he was wearing a low v-neck shirt, along with a pair of dual patterned leggings. The whole thing was loud and unapologetic, matching the tiefling perfectly.

“Didn’t you wear that for last year’s school musical?” Jester asked, and Molly nodded, giving an eccentric bow. 

“Yes, and I was an excellent Clopin, if I do say so myself,” Molly answered, standing back up tall. “So, what can I do for you all?”

”I was wondering if you could read my fortune?” Jester asked, and Molly seemed to hesitate for just a second, before nodding. 

“Of course. I just need everyone else to exit the tent,” 

Hesitantly and with a few curious looks, everyone but Jester left the tent, Yasha closing the tent flap. There was a brief moment of quiet, and then Fjord cleared his throat, looking up to Yasha. “I’m sorry if this comes out wrong, but what he’s doing in there- is it real?” He asked, and Caleb felt a little bit of his unease slip away. 

Yasha shrugged, sighing. “It could be, it could not be. He does always try to give good advice though,” She answered. “He tries to make people happy,”

They ended up waiting there for a little over three minutes, and once the tent flap opened again, both Molly and Jester were leaving. Jester seemed a bit less excited, but just as happy, and Molly seemed satisfied enough with his work. “So, where would you all like to go first?” Molly asked, looking around the group.

 “I saw- I saw a really nice looking prize over at one of the games,” Nott answered, earning a smile from Caleb. 

“Games it is then,”

As they approached the center of the field, Molly took Fjord aside to go play one of the games, Caleb watching them for a brief second before Nott tugged him to one of the booths. The man setting it up smiled down at Nott, the girl’s head barely poking out over the top of the counter. “Hello there little girl!” The man chimed, grinning widely. “Would you like to try and win a prize?”

Nott nodded, now scrambling to hop on to the counter. The man smiled, but didn’t help her, leaving Caleb to reach around her waist and let her stand on the counter. 

“All you have to do is pop those balloons. If you pop five of them, you get one of the big prizes. Three of them gets you a medium or small one.” He explained, gesturing to the different stuffed animals strung up along the sides of the booth. “It’s only three dollars to play,”

Nott scrambled into her pocket, but Caleb got to it before her, handing three dollars to the man. Nott looked back at him, and Caleb shot her a smile, and she let it be. She still reached for her pocket though, pulling out her pocket knife and switching it open. “Is it okay if I use this?”

The man turned around from where he had been getting some darts, his eyes wide at the sight of the object. His eyes shifted to Caleb, alarmed. “Why do you have that-?”

”It is okay, she is well trained with it,” Caleb assured, but that didn’t seem to settle the man at all. The man smiled nervously, approaching slowly and setting the pocket knife aside. 

“Let’s just- lets just put that away, and use these darts instead,” He said, handing her a few darts. Nott paused, but smiled, standing up and getting ready. The first dart popped a balloon, the second one doing the same. The third one went, but it landed between the balloons, not popping them. Nott cursed under her breath, only seeming to alarm the man more.

She threw another one, that one popping a balloon, and then she stilled. She had one dart left. “I want that big bear,” She murmured, glancing up at a soft looking stuffed animal with buttoned eyes. She then refocused, throwing the dart with a small squeal, the dart popping two balloons in one. She paused, then grinned, jumping on the counter excitedly.

The man seemed a little perplexed, but reached up and handed Nott the bear- it was almost the size of her, something that made Caleb grin. He took her in a hug, helping her down from the counter. When he returned to Fjord and Molly, Fjord looked a bit embarrassed and frustrated, and Molly was holding the end of a strawberry, grinning widely. 

“Best strawberry of my _life-“_ Molly was saying, only seeming to annoy Fjord even more, the half orc turning slightly red as he looked back to see Caleb and Nott, Molly only following his gaze and grinning wider. “Hello Nott, Caleb! What’d You guys win?”

”I won this bear!” Nott exclaimed, holding it up so that Molly could see it. He grinned approvingly, and Nott tucked it under her arm, smiling right back. 

“Well, I won an amazing strawberry,” Molly boasted, met with an eye roll from Fjord, who no doubt had been dealing with this for the passed two minutes. “Unfortunately, Mr. Fjord here didn’t win anything,”

”Where did the others go?” Caleb asked, attempting to save Fjord some teasing. Molly looked around, hearing one of the games go off, followed by a few excited gasps and cheers. When Caleb looked over, he could see Yasha’s head above the crowd. As they got closer, weaving through the crowd, Caleb could spot Beau and Jester too. 

Jester had a determined look on her face as she stepped up to the game, grabbing an almost comically large mallet from the worker. Taking a step back, she took a breath, then ran up and slammed the mallet down with a loud crack. A weight went up, soaring about ten feet up before cracking against a bell, much to the employee’s shock. When Caleb glanced back at Beau, her mouth was open in shock, her eyes wide and a blush beginning to stretch across her face. 

Jester laughed, taking a very large stuffed animal of a hamster- similar in size to Nott’s stuffed animal. She first showed it to Beau, the human girl’s blush definitely worsening. Then, she seemed to spot the others through the crowd, yelling for Yasha and dragging Beau through the crowd by her arm. 

“Guys, look what I won at the strength game!” Jester announced, stopping a foot or so in front of them, holding up the giant hamster. “I’m gonna name him Sprinkle,”

”That’s very nice, Jester,” Fjord mused, and Caleb took a moment to flash Beau a curious look, only to be met with a sharp glare that screamed _‘Don’t say a fucking word’_. He didn’t bother questioning it. “Where do y’all want to go now?”

It was starting to cool down, the sky turning to a myriad of oranges and pinks, clouds turned purple by the contrast. Caleb glanced for the sun, finding it near cresting over the horizon. It was hard to believe they’d been at this for three hours already, but Caleb supposed he could pin that on all the walking around and the picnic they had.

”There was this spinning tea cup ride over near the strength game,” Yasha mused, and when Caleb looked back towards the game, he could see children screaming and laughing from the ride. Jester, similarly, was nodding at a quick pace. 

“Yeah- Let’s go on that! Beau, Nott, I need you two to help me spin it as fast as possible,” Jester instructed, looking at each person she mentioned. After a bit of thought, Jester looked at Molly and Yasha, a somewhat more coy grin stretching across her face. “You guys too! I bet if we all try we can spin it super fast,”

Caleb shrugged- that was fine, he didn’t want to throw up anyways, and Nott seemed excited at the idea. So, they went in line for the ride, paying a small amount to even get on it. As it turned out, Caleb and Fjord got seated with Yasha, along with a girl with messy blonde hair.

As the ride started up, Caleb spent more time looking around than he did putting any effort into spinning. “So,” Fjord started, Caleb turning to face Fjord, who was glancing between both him and Yasha. “Are you two having any fun?”

Caleb nodded, offering a small smile. “I have not gone to a festival in years,” He admitted. _And even then, those memories always came out somewhat bittersweet,_ his brain added, but he didn’t vocalize that. He didn’t want to think about that. 

“Last year was the first time I went to one,” Yasha added, looking over her shoulder, and when Caleb followed her gaze, he found himself fondly smiling at a teacup that was going dizzyingly fast. He could hear Nott squealing on the ride, Jester hollering with laughter and excitement as everyone on the ride kept pushing on the spinner in the center. “I went with just Molly then, but this is nice too. You all are nice to hang out with,”

”Speaking of, why did you stop hangin’ out with us?” Fjord asked curiously, and Yasha sighed. 

“It was sort of an accident?” She answered unsurely, turning back to face Fjord. “Molly really needed my help back when I first met him, and he didn’t really like a lot of people. But, when he started- started coming out of his shell, he seemed more interested in other things. So, I joined him,”

”That’s... That’s interesting,”

Yasha smiled, nodding.

“He always has been.”

Apparently, after the Tea Cups was the Ferris Wheel. They’d stepped off, some far more dizzy than others, and Jester had _insisted_ that they go ride the Ferris Wheel. So, they waited in the line, the sun setting a little more, and once they reached the front, Fjord and Caleb were stuck waiting for the next go around. 

Jester had nearly shoved Beau and Yasha into a cart together, a slightly coy smile spreading across her face. Caleb may have just been tired, but for a second, she almost looked disappointed as she took a cart with Molly. Nott had been pressed together with a little human boy, and then the ride began slowly spinning.

He couldn’t make out anything they were saying, but Beau and Yasha seemed to be less awkward, while Molly was uncharacteristically serious while talking with Jester- who seemed to switch to a smile every time she was in their view. 

After their ride, Fjord and Caleb were up, sitting down on one of the benches. “We’re going to go wait over there,” Molly called, grinning at them and jamming a thumb over his shoulder. Caleb nodded, and the ride shifted, letting more passengers on. When they stopped at the very top, Caleb sighed, looking around. 

Everything was very pretty, the trees beginning their shift from fresh green to an autumnal assortment of yellows and oranges. He could see the band’s music mellowing out, lovers cuddling in the fields, and it felt so nice. When he looked back to Fjord, he flushed pink, seeing the man staring at him. 

Caleb figured his view was better though.

Fjord’s hair was blowing to the side in the light breeze, his mouth set in a soft smile, his shirt being tugged in the same direction as his hair. The orange sky behind him complimented him well, and he could see the glimmer of the sunlight in his eyes. 

Fjord was handsome. Caleb could allow himself to admit that under the guise that it was a simple statement of fact.

“It is beautiful here,” Caleb murmured, if only to break the awkward silence, feeling far too flustered to continue his admiration. The Ferris Wheel creaked, and then they were moving, going around. Fjord had nodded, holding on to the railing.

”The view is- The view is really good,” He answered, clearing his throat afterwards in a way Caleb remembered he did when he was flustered. Caleb’s chest felt tight, and he couldn’t restrain his soft smile as they reached the top again. He looked around- people looked so small -spotting Jester and their group. Jester was staring up at them, though it was hard to make out her expression. 

As they lowered again, Caleb could see them rush over to someone though, and he quirked a brow. They were soon enough let off the ride, his arm brushing against Fjord’s as they went back to go find their group. As the crowd thinned, Caleb could spot them, but then everything around him seemed to freeze.

They were talking to a man with salt and pepper hair and a longer beard, wearing white and gold mage robes. Caleb felt his pulse ringing in his ears, his arms throbbing and a humming buzzing just underneath his skin. He felt cold- too cold, sickeningly so. He could hear Fjord saying something, but it was distant and echoey, distorted.

_He needed to go- he needed to leave, he couldn’t be seen, what the fuck was he doing here -Sheiße, geh von ihm weg-_

Caleb ran.


	7. Chapter 7

Caleb couldn’t hear much passed the combined sounds of the humming, his heartbeat, and the sound of his lungs damn near collapsing as he ran. Everything else was just distorted and distant, nowhere near as concerning. He didn’t know where he was running- he just needed to get away. 

_Warum hast du dich rasiert? Er hat dich erkannt, er wird dich finden, du hättest dich nicht binden sollen._

Caleb couldn’t feel anything but the dull thud of his feet hitting the grass and the pulsing feeling in his arms that made him sick to his stomach. He needed to leave- he needed to hide, he had to go.

_Er wird dich benutzen, du wirst wieder sein Haustier sein. Sein wissenschaftliches Projekt. Sein Spielzeug._

Caleb found himself at the base of the tree they’d had the picnic at. Everything was so loud, too loud, far too loud. And it only got louder, and Caleb could see someone rushing into his peripheral, and he couldn’t- he needed to-

“Caleb!”

Caleb leaned against the tree, his legs visibly trembling, his breath going in and out in short gasps for air. “Bitte, verzeihung,” He found himself pleading, the words rolling off his tongue in breathy pants. He flinched at the feeling of someone touching his leg, jerking back and pressing his back against the rough bark. 

Nott was there, a little out of breath as well, but that wasn’t as concerning. Her eyes were wide, her eyebrows furrowed, her expression concerned and worried. 

_Sie sind gefährdet. Er wird sie verletzen, zu dir zu kommen. Er wird nicht zögern._

Caleb pressed his back up straight against the tree, his hand gripping on to it in order to keep himself standing. Coming up behind Nott was Beau, followed by Fjord and the others, and Caleb didn’t think he could actually breathe properly. Part of him wanted to bolt, but the sudden crash of adrenaline left him shaky and weak in the knees. He probably would have fallen over had he not been holding on to the tree. 

“Caleb, you okay man?” Beau asked, rushing over. She reached to set her hand on Caleb’s shoulder, but stopped halfway through, watching him shake and stand up straighter. “Hey- Hey, sit down for a sec’.” She instructed, her voice uncharacteristically quiet.

Whether or not Caleb was following her instructions was unclear, but his legs gave out, and he slumped against the tree, curling up into a ball. He needed to hide- he knew he couldn’t, but he needed to. In his daze he remembered something, quickly shrugging off his backpack and finding his coat and scarf, letting the fabric of both drape over him. Nott quietly sat down to his left, not touching him, but still watching him carefully. 

“Breathe, Caleb,” Nott instructed, her voice a soft whisper. The others had started to catch up, Fjord’s mouth hanging open with a question on the tip of his tongue, only for Beau to send him a stern glare. He quickly shut his mouth, and Caleb took a second, trying to numb himself. He couldn’t be- he couldn’t let them see him like this. They would question him and he didn’t think he’d be able to talk.

”Caleb, can you summon Frumpkin please?” Nott asked quietly, speaking just a little slower than she usually did. Without hesitation, Caleb snapped his fingers, the cat _fwoomphing_ into existence. Frumpkin looked up at him, his head tilting to the side as he let out a confused chirp. Instinctively, Caleb reached out, letting the cat crawl into his lap. He pet it, catching his breath as he did, Frumpkin nestling his head against Caleb’s neck.

The pressure on his chest slowed his breathing, calming him down a little, and Caleb took that time to focus on the seconds that ticked by. The others slowly started sitting around him, watching him carefully as he pet the purring cat, gathering himself. It was somewhere over seven minutes when Jester spoke up, having been quietly texting.

”Bryce is going to be here in about ten minutes, Caleb,” She said quietly, a small pout on her face. Caleb didn’t say anything, he just nodded, continuing to pet the cat. The texture of Frumpkin’s fur was also calming, and after six more minutes, Caleb swallowed, tiredly slumping against the base of the tree. 

“Do you think you can tell us what happened?” Fjord asked, and Caleb instantly shook his head. How on earth was he supposed to explain that to them? He’d just bolted without any explanation. They’d hate him if they knew. Fjord only nodded, keeping to himself.

They waited a little longer, and then Bryce showed up, parking in the same spot as before. They didn’t say anything, only stepping out from the driver’s side to show that they had arrived. It was Nott who guided him to the passenger side, letting him sit up front before climbing into the back with Jester and Fjord. Beau came back with their picnic basket, hopping into the far back seat.

Caleb felt sick to his stomach for the whole car ride, keeping the air blowing on him so that he could breathe. He was exhausted, but still so jittery from it, he needed to stay awake at least until they returned home. 

When they returned to the lake house, Beau, Fjord, and Jester left the car, Jester giving him a pitying, “Hope you feel better,” as they left. He only had it in him to nod, and then they were heading back to their home.

”Do you want to talk about it?” Bryce asked after a moment, their voice soft and reassuring, but Caleb still shook his head. Bryce only nodded, continuing their drive home. When they arrived, Nott helped him out of the car, worry clear on her face. 

“Can- Can I touch you, Caleb?” She asked, and after a second, Caleb nodded. She took his hand, squeezing it gently as she guided him up the stairs. She guided him back to their room, letting him lay down on the bed, Frumpkin still close to his chest. “I’m going to go get you some water, okay?” 

Caleb nodded slightly, and the moment Nott left, he passed out.

~*~

Over the next few days, Caleb made an effort to ignore everyone and everything. He hardly showered, and he’d felt so sick that he hadn’t gone to school. He had nightmares, ones that left him shooting up out of bed and rushing to the nearest bathroom in order to vomit, his hands shaky and tears streaming down his face. The only person he really let get close during these days was Nott, but even then, she seemed hesitant. He got calls on occasion from Jester, but it was always Bryce who picked them up, politely explaining that Caleb wasn’t feeling well. 

Nott always brought him back one of Jester’s hand made lunches, telling him about the things he missed and helping him keep up with homework. She would bring him water, and though she seemed concerned for the way Caleb wasn’t showering, wasn’t shaving, and wasn’t moving much, she wasn’t pushing him either. 

He didn’t deserve her.

It was now at around eight o’clock at night that he heard the phone ring. For whatever reason, Bryce didn’t answer it, and it was keeping Caleb up. So, he sighed, carefully creeping out of bed. It had been the most he’d moved in three days, going downstairs to answer the obnoxious ringing of the house phone. 

“Hello?” He whispered, his voice somewhat raspy from either dehydration or disuse.

”Caleb-“ Caleb nearly hung up then and there. He didn’t want to talk to Beau or the others- they probably hated him, and if they didn’t, they would after the explanation he gave. The only reason he didn’t hang up was because of what Beau said next. “I think I like- I think I love Jester-?”

That caught his attention, his eyes widening slightly. He let Beau continue, listening to her ramble.

”I sort of realized it Saturday at the festival, and don’t get me wrong, I liked Yasha- but lately, I think I’ve liked Jester a lot more. I talked with Yasha and apologized for being a creep, so that’s good, but the strength game-”

”Why are you telling me this?” Caleb asked, his tone showing his genuine confusion. She had no reason to admit this to him- he thought she hated him, or at the very least didn’t trust him that much. He heard her scoff on the other end of the line.

”Do you want me to stop talking?” She asked sarcastically, and Caleb couldn’t find it in him to say no. He really missed them, he did, but he figured they hated him. After recognizing the pause, Beau muttered under her breath, “That’s what I thought. Besides, I’m sure you’ve had enough of people asking if you’re okay. You’re obviously not.”

There was a slight pause, and Beau sighed. 

“We’re worried about you, you know,” She said, her voice sounding just a little distraught, and it made Caleb’s chest twist painfully. “We’re going to come over tomorrow, okay? And you’re going to tell us what’s wrong, because we fucking care about you. We’re going to help you be okay.”

Caleb wasn’t quite sure what to say about that, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to stop her if he tried. So instead, he sighed into the speaker, nodding to himself to reaffirm the idea. “Th-Thank you, Beau,” He murmured, and gods, he hated how scared he sounded. 

“You’re welcome,” There was a slight pause, and then Beau spoke again. “So, you and Fjord, huh?”

Caleb froze, his face flushing pink, and he choked on air. “I-I’m sorry-?” He asked, his voice coming out as a quiet squeak. He could hear her snort on they other line.

“It’s kind of obvious. It’s half the reason I told you about Jester; it kind of felt shitty knowing that about you and not having you know something similar,” She explained, and Caleb’s face grew more red as she went on, his brain working rapidly to keep up with what she had said.

The compliments that left him pink and meek, the staring that made his ears burn and his chest swell- But surely it wasn’t like that? It was definitely, totally, completely _normal_ to stare into the eyes of your friend at the top of a Ferris Wheel, noting the way the sun shimmered in their eyes. It was completely normal to flush pink at compliments, and totally, amazingly normal to think about what it might be like to _hold their hand-_

“You alright, Widogast?”

Caleb groaned into the receiver, his chest having swelled and his blush crawling down his neck. “I need to sleep,” He muttered, and it was met with a genuine laugh from Beau, unrestrained and lacking sarcasm. 

“Night Caleb,”

”Goodnight, Beau,”

He hung up, sighing, one of his hands splaying across the lower half of his face. Maybe he could let himself admit he liked Fjord more than friends. But only maybe.

~*~

The next day was the first time Caleb had showered in three days. 

Part of it was because he really didn’t want them to worry too much about him, but the other part was because of Beau’s statement the night before. _‘We’re going to help you be okay.’._ He’d rather not have them forcibly try to bathe him.

When he came out from the shower, Nott was grinning at him from their bed, showing him a reassuring and proud smile. It made him nearly choke up- he felt horrible for having made her so worried. But she had stayed by his side through it all, and he couldn’t be more thankful. 

“The- uh, The others are coming over today,” She said, her voice sheepish and quiet. “I invited them over, if that’s alright?”

Caleb nodded, going to pick out clothes to get dressed in. When he had his back turned to her, he spoke, pulling out a white button up and beginning to put it on. 

“Beau told me last night,” He admitted, and his voice didn’t sound quite as bad. There was a slight pause, Caleb fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt, before he sighed. “Thank you, Nott. For everything.”

That must have caught her off guard, because her reply sounded a little confused and flustered.

”Of- Of course Caleb,” 

Caleb then went to put on a pair of decent pants, accompanying the shirt with a pair of brown slacks. After those, he put on his jacket and scarf, both pieces of fabric slumped on the floor near the bed. He hadn’t really wanted to part with them. Once he was fully dressed, he slumped himself on the floor next to the bed, sighing softly. 

He jolted slightly as a hand touched his hair, and when he turned his head, Nott’s hand was pulled back, raised in the air. She had a slightly guilty look on her face, and that only made his stomach sink. “No, it’s okay,” He assured, turning his head back to look at the wall. “Y-You can braid it if you want,”

Nott’s hand returned after a moment, brushing strands away from his face, braiding them back into the same hairstyle he’d had on the day of the festival. Her fingers combed through, undoing large tangles Caleb hadn’t bothered to fix over the passed few days. When her work was done, his hair tied back with that blue ribbon, she slid off the bed.

He looked up at her from his seated position on the floor, and she tugged him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You look better,” She murmured, pulling back in order to smile at him fondly. Without thinking, he reached up and pulled her back into a hug, the girl squeaking slightly at the movement. 

She’d done so much for him, and she had never once gotten frustrated or angry. He couldn’t believe he’d been given someone so nice.

After a second, he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders, one hand rubbing circles into the base of his neck. The moment was interrupted by a ringing at the door, and Nott slowly pulled back, tucking a stray strand of hair away from Caleb’s face. 

His breathing was uneven as she left him, going downstairs to open the door. Caleb sighed, pressing himself up against the bed, snapping his fingers to summon Frumpkin. By now it was routine for Frumpkin to hop into his lap and let Caleb pet him, the cat rolling onto it’s stomach this time and sticking his tongue out. Caleb couldn’t help his small laugh, reaching down and letting Frumpkin playfully bat at his hand. 

The door creaked open slowly, and when Caleb looked up, he saw Nott slowly entering the room and sitting down at his side, followed by Jester. She looked around, and upon seeing the empty bagged lunches, gave a slight smile. After her was Beau and Fjord, both of which had their eyes trained on Caleb as they entered, an electric like feeling running up his veins and towards his palms, making them tingly and cool.

”Sit down, and close the door behind you,” Caleb instructed quietly, Beau shutting the door and the others moving to form something of a circle around Caleb. He’d known this was going to happen, and while it was certainly more calming than having not known, that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. He felt dreadful, but he sort of needed this to happen. He couldn’t just let them not know. “One ah, one question at a time, but you can ask anything,”

There was a slight silence, and then Jester spoke up.

”We talked with some Ikithon guy yesterday,” Jester explained, and Caleb’s stomach sank and he focused hard on making his expression neutral. “He was scouting for people to go to the Soltryce Academy, and like, _obviously_ we wanted to recommend you and Fjord- but... you saw us and ran,”

Caleb nodded, unanswering, and Jester took that as a sign to continue. 

“I’m really sorry we did that without talking to you first,” She apologized, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Caleb glanced around for a second, taking a small breath. Everyone had dressed down to something more casual- Jester wearing a pink hoodie and jeans, Fjord wearing a black tee shirt, and Beau wearing a blue tank top. 

“It is fine, Jester,” He assured her, and she nodded, sitting back. It was Beau who went next. 

“What’s up with that Ikithon guy? Did you just get nervous or something?”

Caleb sucked in a breath, nodding. 

“You could say something like that, ja,”

That didn’t seem to satisfy Beau though, her glare showing a mixture of skepticism and and curiosity. He sighed, slumping against the foot of the bed. If this went wrong, he was- he was going to have to leave. Either that night or the next morning. 

“I ah- When I was in fifth grade, Trent Ikithon selected me and two other students to attend the academy after doing a scouting mission in Blumenthal,” Caleb started, his eyes moving to the floor in an attempt to ignore their reactions. He could tell they were shocked though, could hear what was probably Jester’s gasp, could feel the sudden tension building in the group.

He felt sick, and cold, and he couldn’t quite ignore the pounding in his chest. He swallowed, continuing on. “I advanced in magic very quickly, a-and the three of us- the three he had selected from Blumenthal -we were quickly taken under his private tutelage.”

The silence in the room was deafening, and Caleb felt the need to continue, to fill the void and to just _spill._

“We learned complex magic, and if we failed at a spell, he would hurt us. To make us stronger. Things got worse from there- he- we were  _wissenschaftliche experimente._ Experiments,” He muttered the last part with a deep disgust and hatred, and for a second, he felt ice cold. The humming had returned- distant in the back of his head, a painful reminder of what rest under his skin. He took a breath, his hand reaching towards his other wrist, finding the edge of the bandages. He undid one, shivering, a cold sinking pit in his stomach. 

His arms were rather pale from being covered in the bandages all the time, but, Caleb shakily began to point out the marks. The scars. There were scars running up his arms, thin and deep, and it was hard to even count them all. He didn’t like them- he hated looking at them, but for these people, he showed them. 

“How long did this go on?” Nott asked after a moment, her voice so quiet and small, and it made Caleb’s heart ache. _He was doing that to her._ “What- What did he do?”

 _“Crystals._ He put crystals in our arms. My studies with him went on for thee- nearly three years,” He answered. He held his arm closer to his chest, almost trying to hide it away from view. It was proof he was weak- was a failure, was something hollow and used. “Things got much, much worse. He would also have us hurt others, people he would bring in. If we did not, we were a shame to the Empire, and we would be punished accordingly. He told us the people he brought in were traitors to the empire, and- and we were instructed to execute them.”

It went without saying that he did. Nearly three years of tutelage had trained him like a dog.

”One day- at my home, I heard my parents discussing a revolution. An attempt to overthrow the Empire,” Caleb shook his head, frustrated with himself. Everything he was saying sounded so fake, so distant, and he wondered how on earth he could have lived that. “We were told to execute them. A-And I did- I pressed a car up against my front door, and I lit it on fire,”

He was speaking a little quicker now, a desperate attempt to drown out the memories and just get them over with. He wasn’t blinking either, holding back tears and trying to keep his breathing regular. 

“When everything was burning, I- I thought I knew what I was doing- I thought I knew. But- But I heard them, I-I _broke,”_ Caleb caught his breathing coming in a short gasp, not pausing to catch his breath. His voice was beginning to choke out and run as a quiet whisper, but he couldn’t stop. “I was sent to a mental institute for roughly six months, when one day, a woman came in. She touched me- healed me, and-and took away the memories Ikithon put in my head,”

There was a small croak to his left, and Caleb felt himself breaking a little. 

“The memories-? Ikithon put fake-“

”O-Of my parents, yes,” Caleb answered quickly, not wanting to hear Nott like that anymore. He couldn’t dare hear her break like that. “I-I ran the second I could, and I stole this,” Caleb reached under his shirt, pulling out a golden chain with a charm on the end of it. Nott must’ve seen it a hundred times in the time they’d known each other. She just never questioned it. “From one of Ikithon’s people. They can’t track me now.”

”All I have left of them are these,” Caleb took a second to tug on his scarf and jacket, holding on to them like a lifeline. The jacket was his fathers- he’d been in the military and had given it to Caleb sometime during his stay at Soltryce. He’d been so proud of his son, his powerful, war hero son. The scarf had been a gift from his mother just before he had went off- something handcrafted with imperfections that showed her only just starting the hobby. She’d promised him a better one after she’d had more practice. “Without any record of who I was before, I was only charged with theft and was sent to juvie. Then- Then I met Nott,” 

There was a deafening silence in the room, and Caleb took a second to look up, prepared to see disgust, disbelief, horror. It was what he deserved, he deserved to not have a family. He deserved to be left on the side of the road to starve, he deserved to be kicked and beaten and put to rest- What he got instead was pity and shock, and that- _that_ was interesting.

He didn’t deserve it.

”Who were you before?” He heard Jester ask quietly. The name came to his tongue, and it didn’t feel quite right anymore.

“Bren. Bren Aldric Ermendrud, but that person is dead- I am Caleb now, and I do not want to go back,” Caleb answered. He didn’t want to be called Bren, he didn’t think he really had the right. Bren was a killer and a madman at age thirteen. Caleb was just a petty criminal at age seventeen.

The silence continued, the group taking a minute to assess what he said. It was hardly believable- he knew it, he could hardly believe what had happened either. It’s one of the reasons he just let things happen. One of the reasons he never thought to report it- nothing sounded real, and who would believe some scrappy thirteen year old?

Nott stood up from his side, and Caleb wanted to sob instantly- she was leaving him, she was horrified, she hated him, she realized what he’d known all along- _she was too good for him._

Instead, she placed herself between Caleb and the group, her expression a hard, protective glare. 

“My name was Veth, and I was a little halfling girl before I died,” She stated bluntly, and Caleb looked up, shocked. He- _what was she doing-?_ The rest of the group’s attention had shifted to Nott, and she held her ground, her voice stern. “I found a dog hurt, beaten, and starved, and I took it in and cared for it. But I wanted to find the people who hurt it, and I ended up busting an underground dog fighting rig. When- When people were getting arrested for it, the girlfriend of the leader found me, _drowned me,_ and turned me into this,”

While that was something else Caleb wanted to assess, wanted to comfort Nott on- Beau spoke up.

”I almost went to juvie for selling my dad’s alcohol,” She admitted. “But he managed to pay them off, and sent me to work at the library so I wouldn’t get in more trouble.”

Next up was Fjord, apparently.

”I almost died in a boat accident three years ago. Someone rigged the boat to blow up, and I almost drowned on it, but then I washed up on shore.”

Caleb looked around the group, his eyes wide and his head spinning, shock evident on his face. _Nott died, Fjord nearly did, Beau’s dad bribed the police-_

“Caleb, what happened wasn’t your fault,” Nott assured, turning around to look at him, and honestly, he didn’t think he deserved that much. “He- that man hurt you, and trained you to do that. He manipulated you, and hurt you, and- and what you did was awful, but it wasn’t _you,”_

Caleb was shaking, Frumpkin trying to calm him down, the cat nuzzling the side of his face. Nott- Veth? -bent down, leaning forwards and wrapping her arms around Caleb, and Caleb couldn’t help but sob. 

“Your name is Caleb Widogast, and you are a good person, and I’m going to keep telling you that until you can believe it yourself,” She murmured, and slowly, the others joined in, wrapping their arms around each other and forming something of a hug pile. He was shaking, crying, but the warmth they gave him was beginning to overpower the freezing cold. For once, it truly hit him how awful things had been, how scared and horrible he’d felt under Ikithon’s control, and while he didn’t forgive himself, _didn’t think he even could,_ he could let himself have this.

His name was Caleb Widogast, and he had a family who loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you all to know that the events that happened to Caleb are things that can be very real and very dangerous. There’s gaslighting, military recruitment in low income towns, and children have been turned into killing machines in Sierra Leone. His brain sometimes decides to shut out those memories and forget things entirely due to the trauma, and sometimes it comes back full force. Same thing applies for Nott and Fjord. They don’t remember what happened with much clarity.


	8. Chapter 8

When they’d parted from the hug, Jester had laughed softly, keeping her arms around anyone she could. “Wow guys, you’re all really fucked up. Like, _really_ fucked up,” She murmured, and Caleb couldn’t help but give a shaky smile, Beau practically snorting. “Do you guys- since we have the whole day together, I mean, do you guys want to try and be normal?”

”What do you mean, Jes’?” Fjord asked, turning his head so that he could look at her. She shrugged, and Caleb was so happy she was there to keep them all from falling apart. 

“I don’t know. We could watch a movie, go to the arcade, get some ice cream?”

“I-I, um,” Caleb attempted to start, his body still a bit shaky with the sudden crash of adrenaline. “I-I would be okay going outside if- if you all came with me,” He offered, and while he didn’t exactly favor the way his voice sounded- shaky and quiet and still a little small -he couldn’t say he was afraid to show weakness. He supposed that came with having a full on panic attack in front of your friends, and them deciding to stick around.

Caleb hadn’t gone to school not out of fear of seeing his friends again- though part of it was that. No, he’d been scared to run into Ikithon again, and be taken away from it all. Arrested, used for experimentation, mind melded until he was a war machine. The thought of that terrified him to his very core. 

“Do you think we’d see those assholes at the mall?” Beau asked, and Caleb thought it over for a second. If anything, they would probably be doing school recruitment- something that made Caleb’s heart ache horribly -but at least they wouldn’t be at the mall. He shook his head, and Beau grinned. “In that case, I know a pretty good arcade. There’s an ice cream shop right next to it too, so if we want to take a break to just walk around, we can.”

“That sounds good, but do you think we’ll get in trouble for skipping?” Fjord asked, pulling away from the hug just enough to look at Beau, and the girl shook her head.

”Nah- that’s only if you haven’t filled out the sick forms. Then you’re legally required to be in school unless you’ve dropped out,” Beau answered, leaning back from the hug to smile mischievously at the group. “And who’s gonna stop us anyways? Mall cops are only there to prevent major shootings and shoplifting,”

”That’s fair. Besides, we could use a day to get back to normal,” Fjord mused, nodding. He grinned, looking between their little group. “If you guys are all ready to go, I can drive us there now. Get an early start, that sorta thing,”

”What time does the mall open?” Nott asked, and Caleb couldn’t help but notice she still had her arms around him, her head near his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her back, rubbing circles into it. It was a lot of information to process, everything that had just happened. These people, as fucked up as it was- they understood. They were here to help him, and maybe- maybe he could let them. 

“At like- ten, I think,” Jester answered, and Caleb’s brain helpfully reminded him that it was thirteen minutes until eleven. They’d be fine. 

“Sweet, lets go,” Beau replied, standing up and stretching. The rest of them slowly did the same, Caleb taking an extra moment to straighten out his shirt, scarf, and jacket. He lingered on them for a moment, and he didn’t think- no, he couldn’t part with them. Not yet. But at the very least he could carry them in a backpack instead. 

“Give me a moment?” He requested, the others turning back to face him from the doorway. Nott had a skeptical look- something understandable since he hadn’t left the room in four days. “I just- I want to change clothes,” He clarified, and Nott smiled, nodding. 

“You heard the man! Shoo!” She ordered, turning back around and pushing on the back of Beau and Fjord’s legs, earning a playfully annoyed ‘Hey!’ from Beau and an exasperated but amused shrug from Fjord. Caleb smiled, and they let the door close, and then he was staring at himself in the mirror rather than his friends. 

He sighed, shrugging off the coat for a second, looking down at it just to hold it in his hands. It was worn, the treated leather creased around the shoulders and elbows. He smiled, folding it up, then doing the same with the scarf. The wool was frayed in some parts, intricate patterns knitted to make it whole. It was familiar and warm, and a second later, it was folded up and put in his backpack.

When he came out, he was wearing a dark brown sweater over the button up, similar to what he’d worn to the festival. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows the bandages lining his arms the rest of the way to his wrists. He still hadn’t shaved, but the thought of somehow running into Ikithon and being recognized was enough to keep him from complaining. Anything to make him look more different, the better.

He went down the stairs to find Jester talking with Bryce, Beau sat on the armrest of the couch, Nott sitting in a bar stool and Fjord waiting by the stairs. It was Bryce who first noticed Caleb, offering him a smile as he reached the bottom, his shoes landing on the wooden floor with a soft noise. Beau turned her head and looked him up and down. “Man, you didn’t change much,”

Caleb couldn’t help his smile, Jester planting her hands on her hips. “Well I think he looks nice. Wouldn’t you say, Fjord?” She asked, her tone slightly teasing as she looked towards Fjord.

Caleb felt his face start to heat up, and he looked at Beau with wide eyes. For a second, he wondered if she’d told Jester, but she lacked the smugness. _If she did, he had the ability to return fire,_ he thought. _He wouldn’t, but he had the ability to, meaning she probably didn’t say anything._

Fjord cleared his throat, and when Caleb looked at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck. “So uh- we should probably head out,” He stated, reaching for his front pocket and pulling out a pair of keys. He seemed to have a faint blush on his face, one that Caleb opted to ignore, along with the familiar fluttery feeling it caused. He nodded in agreement- right, they should probably get going.

Jester seemed to blank for a moment, and Caleb could practically see the gears working on her head, and then she nodded, taking Beau by the arm and pulling her off the couch. “You’re right, we don’t want it to be too busy,” She agreed, tugging Beau towards the front door. “It was nice talking with you Bryce! Take care!”

Bryce gave a fond smile as the girls left, then turning to the remaining teens. Fjord watched as they left, then nodded, heading out after them. 

“You two enjoy yourselves. Here’s some money,” Bryce said, approaching Caleb and handing him about thirty dollars. Enough for food and games, definitely. Bryce smiled, and Caleb nodded, keeping the money in his pocket. Nott grinned, hopping off the seat and walking over to Caleb, taking his hand. 

“We’ll be back soon!” She said, and Bryce nodded, watching as Nott tugged Caleb out the door. Parked in their driveway was an older looking car, Jester halfway into the back seat. She grinned when she saw them, something a little devilish to her grin. 

“Nott! Come sit in the back with us!”

Nott seemed confused for a moment, then nodded, rushing over and climbing into the back. As Caleb got closer, he could see the back was full, Beau looking at him from the far seat with a smug grin. He was confused for a moment, then his eyebrows drew together, his face heating a little. 

_Those fuckers._

Caleb sighed, opening the front passenger side door, finding the seat to be predictably empty. He climbed in, sitting down and buckling his seatbelt, making an effort to avoid eye contact with Fjord. He did give a very pointed glare towards the rear view mirror though, Jester looking rather accomplished from where she sat.

Soon enough, they were pulling out from the driveway, the silence in the car somewhere between comfortable and awkward, something fragile enough that Caleb felt anxious to break it. It wasn’t until they got near the highway that Jester let out a soft gasp, reaching forwards and letting her hand rest on the back of Caleb’s seat.

”Caleb! Can you turn up the radio? Please?” 

Caleb gave her a skeptical look, unable to find any intent to fluster him. He knew that was probably her intent, but he wasn’t able to get a good read. So, wordlessly, he nodded, reaching over to turn up the radio. He wasn’t sure what he expected- from Jester’s gasp, perhaps something along the lines of pop music -but the country music came as a small surprise. 

Jester grinned, sitting back in the seat, a few snickers coming from Nott. She had this teasing grin on her face, proud of whatever she’d just accomplished, and it wasn’t until Caleb saw her eyes on Fjord that he realized it wasn’t him she was trying to fluster. “Thank you Caleb. Fjord and I really like this song,” 

True enough, Fjord’s eyebrows had drawn together, his ears tinting slightly pink as he kept his eyes focused on the road. Caleb couldn’t help his own curiosity, sinking back into his seat and glancing back at Fjord.

”You like country music?”

He couldn’t restrain the amusement in his voice, and that only seemed to make Fjord more embarrassed, sighing as he got on the highway. “Vandren got me into it when I first started livin’ with him. It’s homey,” He explained almost defensively, earning a few giggles from Jester, causing him to scoff. “Don’t act like you don’t like it too, Jessie.”

”I do, but I’m not the one who gets so worked up about it,” She countered, leaving Fjord to sigh, continuing on. 

The radio turned out not to be playing- instead, it was a CD inside the player, quite a few songs burned into it. Some were sappy love songs, others breakup songs with a quick tempo and angry lyrics. Regardless of what they were, Jester was singing along, and Caleb was unable to restrain his smile. It was interesting to hear her sing these songs with her accent, though he knew he’d be no better at it. Fjord maybe, with his more country drawl, but definitely not Caleb.

Speaking of, at the start of the next song, Caleb couldn’t help but pick up on a faint hum. It was deeper than anything Jester was producing, and Caleb glanced at Fjord, finding that he’d seemingly calmed down a bit since Jester requested Caleb put on the music. His eyes were trained on the road, and Caleb couldn’t help his smile, watching as Fjord continued to hum along to the songs.

They made it to the mall far too quickly.

Fjord parked the truck, Nott scrambling out of the back seat, an eager smile on her face. She was quick to take Caleb’s hand as he climbed out of the passenger seat, and it made him feel a little more warm. Safe, setting that cold chill aside, and for a second he could let himself get further from it. 

It was Beau who guided them to the front entrance, Jester giggling to Fjord over something that Caleb wasn’t entirely bothering to catch. She then seemed to stage whisper, leaning near dramatically on Fjord’s arm, only for the half orc to quickly turn pink. 

“What are you two talking about?” He asked after a moment, amusement and slight concern slipping into his voice, a small smile on his face. Jester didn’t turn around, only craned her neck back in a way that almost didn’t look possible, a wide grin stretching across her face. 

“Don’t worry about it, Caleb. Everything is going super,”

Caleb quirked a brow at that, the concern being replaced with confusion, the amusement staying. His reaction seemed to please her, because she giggled, fixing the position of her neck and pushing herself off Fjord, nearly prancing ahead of them. She spun to face them, grinning giddily, and it was hard to tell if she was dramatizing her happiness.

”Come on!”

They took a minute to walk inside, Nott and Caleb taking up the rear, as they had never been to this place before. The shop windows contained mannequins in fall clothing, swimsuits and summer clothes being on discount with the shift in season. There seemed to be a candy store that Jester stopped at for just a moment, but she was quick to keep walking, catching up with Beau.

As Beau looked back to see where Jester had gone, Caleb caught her eye. He must have been smiling, because she was quick to roll her eyes, letting her gaze flicker between him and Fjord. Exasperated, he shook his head, though the pinkish tint to his ears seemed to satisfy Beau.

The rhythmic techno music was what first showed their arrival at the arcade. The lights inside the establishment were dim, and the place seemed to be black lighted. There were ski-ball machines lining one of the walls, with claw machines and fighter games set up around the place. Beau seemed excited as they got closer, and Nott’s hand gave a soft squeeze that caught Caleb’s attention.

When he looked down at her, she nudged her head to the left, and Caleb’s gaze followed. His eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but grin. A book store- a very large one at that. He wasn’t entirely sure if his grin was from Nott putting in the effort to show him something, or if it was from the books themselves, but either way it made him feel a bit warm. Content.

Despite Nott pointing out the store, they were quickly brought into the arcade, Jester trading a few dollars for game tokens. She began distributing them, handing a few to Caleb, then Nott, then Fjord. She glanced back towards Caleb, and then nudged Fjord- who only seemed to roll his eyes and mouth something he couldn’t quite catch.

Caleb’s attention was quickly diverted as Beau cleared her throat, crossing her arms. She did it in a way that made her biceps look more bulky, and Caleb had to restrain a snicker- _and she thought he was ridiculous._ “Hey, Jester, do you want to play DDR with me?” She asked, and then Caleb couldn’t hide his snicker, his free hand moving up to cover his smile.

Beau sent him a pointed glare, but Jester paid it no mind, nodding at her offer. “Sure! But only if we get to play against each other,” Jester agreed, earning Beau’s attention, the girl smiling as she began to head towards the machines. Jester turned after a second though, spinning on her heel and looking back at them. “Nott! Wanna join us?”

”I don’t know how to play,” 

“I can teach you- you and I can team up against Beau!” Jester insisted, seemingly just a little more forceful with her words. Caleb looked back at Nott, catching a glimpse of Jester mouthing something out of the corner of his eye. Nott seemed a little unsure, but with the sudden force behind the statement, she looked up at Caleb. He made sure to give her a smile, squeezing her hand, and she nodded. 

“Coming!”

Nott squeezed Caleb’s hand again, then ran after Jester, following her towards the machines. Caleb sighed softly as she left; Jester was probably going to be the death of him. Beau was attempting to make advances towards Jester, so it wasn’t her fault that she left them alone. Jester, however, seemed to be plotting against him. Fjord cleared his throat, earning Caleb’s attention.

When Caleb looked up at him, he seemed flustered, rubbing the back of his neck. “What game do you want to play?” He asked, and Caleb shrugged.

”I do not know- I have never been to an arcade,”

”I’m sorry- what?”

Fjord had a shocked look on his face, and again, Caleb shrugged, though this time it was a bit more awkward. “There were not many arcades in Blumenthal. We mostly played on parks, or in the woods,” He explained. He was beginning to grow fond of the memories, so long as he didn’t focus on what happened later on. It was actually... it was nice.

”How about a fighting game? There’s also luck games, sports ones, racing games and shooters,” Fjord suggested, and when Caleb quirked a brow, he grinned. “The coast has a lot of casinos and arcades, and sometimes I would hang out there with Jester.”

”That is sweet,” Caleb mused, a slight smile on his face. It made sense then why Jester would suggest it- this place did seem right up her alley. “What game would you recommend?”

”Well, fighting games are always fun, but luck games and sports games get you tickets for the prize counter,” Fjord replied, and after a second, he seemed to get an idea. “Let’s do a sports game,”

Caleb nodded, and Fjord then directed him towards the games. They lit up and blinked, noises coming from each of them, and other than being a little disorienting, it was interesting. There were basketball hoops and skiball lanes, along with a punching bag game. Fjord approached a skiball lane first, with Caleb following behind. He watched as he put in a coin or two, the game lighting up and playing it’s music a little louder. 

Fjord glanced over his shoulder any Caleb, then grabbed one of the balls from the lane. He took a breath, and when he rolled the ball, it ended up bouncing out of the lane with a loud clatter- the sheer force of it launching it off the side. Fjord seemed to wince at that, and Caleb couldn’t help his smile as he went to retrieve the ball. 

“I cannot say I will be any better, but maybe using less force is a good idea?” 

Fjord seemed sheepish at that, stepping aside to let Caleb roll the ball, a slight grin on his face. Caleb rolled the ball a little less forceful, only for it to barely make it up the ramp, rolling back towards him. He could hear Fjord chuckle, and a soft wave of relief washed over him. He seemed less tense.

”What, are you even trying?” The machine mocked, the audio somewhat staticky, a bit louder than the music. Caleb looked up towards the top of the machine, his eyebrows furrowing and something akin to a pout settling on his face. That only seemed to make Fjord laugh though, the man walking up to him and holding out his hand. Caleb sighed, passing him the ball, a coy look in Fjord’s eye that made Caleb huff.

”I never said I was good at this,”

”Yeah, but you’re cute when you try,”

Caleb’s face went slightly pink, his chest swelling up. Fjord, for one thing, did not seem embarrassed by what he’d said, so there was always a chance it wasn’t flirting? Plus the teasing tone, it was probably just friendly ribbing, playful joking that had just managed to make Caleb’s face begin to heat. In which case, he was probably making things awkward now, just standing there like an idiot.

Without knowing what else to do, Caleb lightly punched Fjord’s arm, an exasperated look slipping onto his face. His eyes were drawn to the floor- dear gods, that was tacky -in an endeavor to not put himself through any more awkward embarrassment.

”Shut up.”

Fjord, thankfully, gave him some reprieve, and rolled the ball down the isle instead of replying verbally. The machine chimed again, something Caleb was beginning to find obnoxious, but it was a noise that seemed to make Fjord light up. He turned to look back at Caleb, a proud smile on his face. “Did you see that?”

Caleb shook his head, which caused Fjord’s expression to fall slightly. He turned though, grabbing another ball and rolling it down the isle, it landing in one of the upper holes. The machine chimed again, and Fjord turned, grinning. “Do you think you can do that?”

”Maybe,” 

Caleb was handed a ball almost immediately after, Fjord stepping aside so that he could have a chance. Taking a breath, Caleb rolled the ball with just a little more force than before, only for it to land in between the target and the ramp. He was almost embarrassed at this point- Fjord had made two impressive shots, and Caleb had made two weak ones. 

“Here, let me help,” Fjord stepped closer, taking another ball from the machine and handing it to Caleb. When Caleb took it though, Fjord’s hand wrapped around the back of his own, and Fjord shifted so that he was behind Caleb. He leaned so that he could see the ramp a little better, and gods, Fjord had no idea what he was doing to him. Caleb could practically feel his heart pounding against his chest, and for a panicked moment, he wondered if Fjord could feel it in his wrist.

If he did, he didn’t comment on it, instead pulling Caleb’s arm back. He then swung it forwards, Caleb letting go of the ball, watching as it went up the ramp a little better and actually landed in one of the point rings, earning another obnoxious chime. They were beginning to give him a headache. That didn’t matter much though, because Fjord seemed happy that he’d scored.

”See, how hard was that?”

Caleb laughed at that, shaking his head as he turned to face Fjord. “I had to have you help me score the one point I even made,” He mused, an exasperated grin tugging at his lips. “I do not think these games are my forte,”

”It’s your first time at an arcade, Caleb. You’ll get better,” Fjord assured, only for Caleb to shake his head again. 

“A child could do better,” Caleb crossed his arms, the machine letting out another staticky insult. “You are doing well though. Is it alright if I just watch you play this one?” At Fjord’s slightly more downtrodden look, Caleb continued. “I would rather be happy for you than sad over my own failure,”

That seemed to convince him, and Fjord nodded, turning back to the game. Caleb stood by and watched, each of the next rolls making it in, the moment made bittersweet with each another obnoxious chime. By the time Fjord had finished, the machine produced a decent string of tickets, and Fjord ripped them off. 

“So, you said this might not be your forte, but do you have an idea of what could be?”

Caleb hummed, and for a moment, he looked around for the girls. Maybe if he went back with Nott, his headache would go away. If he was with her, maybe he would be less awkward. He didn’t spot them though, so instead, he chose at random. 

“You said something about luck games?”

Luck games were interesting. It gave everyone a seemingly equal shot, and it gave him an opportunity to be impressive. To not be considered weird and lame by Fjord.

Fjord grinned, and gestured for Caleb to follow him, walking away from the sports games. These games appeared more idle, less loud and bright. There was one that was low to the floor, another one that slid coins down it, and a few that you would spin in order to win tickets. Caleb looked around, then spotted one of the games- it was tall, almost like a wall, and it seemed to drop a ball whenever the player would stop it. Depending on what hole they got it into, they would get that many tickets.

The highest value was a thousand.

Caleb walked towards that game, sliding in a quarter, watching as the machine blinked to life. “You have to drop the disk at the right time,” Fjord explained, only receiving a hum from Caleb as he watched the top part move. He understood the game already, he was just trying to focus. 

It was as the disk reached left of the center that he let it drop, the disk hitting a few pegs on the way down, landing in the twenty five zone. The tickets were dispensed, and Caleb slid in another coin. Again, the machine blinked to life, furthering Caleb’s headache a bit. It was just as the top part was coming back from the right corner that Caleb dropped it, the disk bouncing back and forth on the pegs.

It went almost instantly into the thousands spot, the machine roaring and blinking louder and brighter. 

“Woah, Caleb!” Caleb was shaken slightly as Fjord put his hand on his shoulder, a wide grin stretching across his face. He looked shocked, watching as the machine continued to blink. The fluorescent lights were beaming brightly, a technicolored show that would have probably made any younger kid light up with glee. For Caleb, it made his head _throb_. Even if he looked away, it still lingered in his peripheral, loud and merciless. And while the touch to his shoulder would have usually made Caleb’s heart pound against his chest, it was too warm. The whole room was stuffy and stale, hot and dizzying. Way too warm, way too _much._ “Good job- that was amazing!”

Caleb nodded, standing upright a little straighter, and his vision seemed to double for a second. The lights blurred, and Caleb’s temples were practically throbbing. 

“I-I have to go for a minute,” He murmured- gods, everything was way too loud, way too distracting. Too cacophonous.

He didn’t wait for a reply as he stepped away, setting his coins on the machine, speed walking out of the arcade. Everything was so loud, Caleb could feel his breath coming in short. It was loud and bright and stuffy in there, he was gasping for breath by the time he made it out, wincing at the regular light.

He sat down on a bench, sighing as he caught his breath, rubbing at his temples. His breathing was still slightly labored, but it was getting better. The beeping was distant, echoey, and Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed as he picked up on the noise. He was standing up before he entirely knew where he was going, and he found himself walking into the book store. 

Instantly, he felt a bit of relief. The place was quiet, the walls of the mall drowning out the noise of the arcade. The place smelled of freshly printed ink and warm paper, and it didn’t feel quite as stuffy. He could breathe in here. There were rows and rows of bookshelves, a display stand in the corner with what looked like backpacks, and a small ice cream shop attached to the side.

Almost as if caught in a trance, Caleb let himself drift through the store, letting himself calm down. For some reason he’d felt so jittery inside the arcade, and now he was beginning to recover from that. Out of habit, he found himself drifting towards the romance section, a small smile on his face as he plucked one of the books off the shelves. 

He took it, then walked back towards the ice cream shop part of the store, sitting down in one of the chairs and beginning to read. It was therapeutic, almost as good as petting Frumpkin. It felt safe and warm, and it was distracting enough that Caleb didn’t hear footsteps approach.

”You sure seem content,” He looked up to see Fjord looking down at him, a small quirk to the man’s lips. Caleb went pink for a second- _sheiße, he’d just left him inside the arcade without any explanation, and hadn’t said where he was going._ But Fjord didn’t seem to mind all that much. Instead, the half orc moved to stand next to his seat, setting something down on the table.

The plush looking orange fabric caught his attention, and Caleb took a moment to inspect the item that had been placed in front of him. It was a large, plush looking hoodie, with light orange fabric. It had a white kangaroo pocket, and the hood had something sewn into it. Caleb set his book aside, glancing at his page, then reached out to inspect the hood.

The first thing he noticed was _holy fuck, it was soft._ It was plush and comfortable, not silky or scratchy like he would have anticipated. His eyes had widened with surprise, and only seemed to get wider as he noticed the second part. Ears- _cat ears._

”I used the tickets to get it- you didn’t look the most comfortable in there, and I figured you didn’t want to go back. You can exchange it though, if you don’t like it-“

When Caleb looked back up at Fjord, the man seemed a bit more sheepish than he had before, his face tinted by a faint blush. He’d made brief eye contact before Fjord looked somewhere else, and Caleb felt his chest tighten up.

”I like it,”

That seemed to take Fjord by surprise, his eyes slightly wide as he looked back at Caleb, his eyebrows raised. Caleb cleared his throat, continuing. “It is soft, and rather- and rather cute. It is orange like Frumpkin. I like it,”

A look of relief crossed Fjord’s face, and then his expression settled into a pleased smile. 

“I’m glad.”

There was a small pause, and then Fjord coughed, setting his hand on the seat. He kept it a good distance away from Caleb though- an action that almost kind of inconvenient. 

“Is it alright if I sit here?”

Caleb nodded, and Fjord pulled out the chair, sitting down. Caleb felt that small concern rising up- this was the second time he’d left the group, each time without much of an explanation. He at least owed it to them- owed it to Fjord. 

“The, ah,” Caleb started, being met with a quirked eyebrow from Fjord. “The lights in the arcade, and the noise. It was too much, I think. It gave me a headache, and I could not- I was not able to breathe very well. It was... It was all too much,”

The smile he was met with was more than what Caleb deserved. It was understanding, sympathetic, and it made him feel a rush of warmth. 

“That’s alright,” He assured. “I just- I would have preferred more of an explanation. But I’m really glad you’re feeling better. You look more comfortable here anyways,” There was a pause, and Fjord’s expression shifted to something concerned. “When- When you just bolted at the festival, I wasn’t really sure what to do. And then you didn’t come to school, and I... I was worried for you, Cay.”

There was another pause, and Caleb couldn’t tell if Fjord was giving him an opportunity to speak, or if he was figuring out his own words. Regardless, Fjord continued. 

“Today we went to your house to make sure you felt comfortable. And, I know a lot happened, but that’s still our goal here. To make sure you’re okay. And if going to some blinking, loud arcade isn’t what does that for you, that’s okay. We can stay in the book store,”

Caleb didn’t know how to respond, his face warm and his chest tight. A lot had happened, and a lot of it had left him on edge. But being here, quiet and calm, it was so nice. He swallowed, a small smile working it’s way onto his face.

”Thank you.”


End file.
